Chapter 500 - 496: Heartwarming

Cao Hong stood there stunned, speechless for a long moment. After a good while, he finally raised his head, his eyes slightly red. The hand holding the three light Blue Dream Fruits trembled faintly. For an assassin, this was a fatal flaw, yet Cao Hong seemed not to notice. He smiled and said, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll take these fruits, break through, and just run away?"

Qin Li smiled. "I’ve never placed any restrictions on you. If you feel that following me is a bad deal, you’re free to leave at any time!"

Cao Hong was taken aback for a moment, then bowed deeply to Qin Li and said in a solemn voice, "Though I, Cao Hong, am an assassin and admit to having done many wicked things, I have always been a man of my word. You have not failed me, Sir, and I shall never fail you!"

Finally, Qin Li called Shangguan Shiyu and Leng Yao into the room. He still had eleven Blue Dream Fruits, but he didn’t take them out right away. Instead, he pulled both women into his arms, took a deep breath, and, smelling their fragrance, said in an intoxicated voice, "You smell amazing!"

Leng Yao’s face flushed crimson, and Shangguan Shiyu rolled her eyes at Qin Li. However, neither of them struggled out of his embrace. Not long after their marriage, both women had gone into seclusion to cultivate. Qin Li had also been gone for a long time. Now that he was back, it was impossible to say they didn’t miss him.

After a moment of tenderness, the three of them sat down. Qin Li looked at Shiyu and said, "Shiyu, are you about to break through to the Pill Nascent Soul Transformation realm?"

Shiyu asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

Qin Li smiled. ’As expected of an Innate Spirit Body,’ he thought. ’This rate of progress is truly astonishing.’ He took out three Blue Dream Fruits from his ring, handed them to Shangguan Shiyu, and said, "Take these, go into seclusion for a few days, and you’ll be able to break through to the Pill Nascent Soul Transformation realm!"

"Really?" Shangguan Shiyu took them, her face filled with delighted surprise. She looked at Qin Li gently and said, "Husband, thank you!"

Qin Li smiled. "We’re husband and wife. There’s no need for thanks between us."

Shiyu shook her head slightly. "For so many years, we’ve gone from a group of nobodies in the secular world to where we are today, step by step. I haven’t even done as much as Leng Yao. All of you have been working so hard, while I... I’ve just been enjoying the fruits of your labor. I..."

Leng Yao glanced at the emotional Shangguan Shiyu, a smile appearing on her cold, beautiful face. "Sister, why would you say that? We’re a family!"

"Right, Leng Yao’s right. We’re a family! And in a family, there are no ’yours’ or ’mine’!" Qin Li said.

"Husband, if I break through to the Pill Nascent Soul Transformation realm, I won’t go into seclusion to cultivate like this anymore. Let me stay by your side. Whatever storms may come, we’ll face them together!"

Leng Yao nodded and said, "Yes, Husband, I feel the same way. I’ve refined several new elixirs. Don’t look at me as just being at the Celestial Venerable level. Even if I were to encounter a Martial Artist at the Shattered Void realm, I have the ability to protect myself. If they’re not careful, they might even fall into one of my traps!"

Qin Li looked at Leng Yao with astonishment. "Really? You broke through to the Celestial Venerable realm so quickly?"

Leng Yao gave Qin Li a slightly smug look. "Sister’s rate of improvement was so fast it made me blush. So, I had to resort to a few shortcuts. The Ancient Pill Formula has several elixirs that can drastically increase one’s strength in a short time. The materials I had on hand were limited, so I could only use them on myself first..."

As she spoke, Leng Yao stuck her tongue out playfully.

Shiyu added from the side, "That’s right. Leng Yao discussed it with me, and I agreed. Besides, Leng Yao has already refined several types of elixirs, and they’re incredibly powerful. If she were to use them, I would definitely be no match for her!"

"You’re being too modest, Sister," Leng Yao said, a little embarrassed.

Shiyu shook her head, her expression serious. "I’m not being modest. The power of those elixirs is just too immense. So, even you, Husband, must keep this a secret. And you have to be careful. Although we have the Ancient Pill Formula, there’s no guarantee that the Sects in the Land of the Far West don’t have similar pill formulas!"

Watching the two women get along so harmoniously, Qin Li felt a great sense of relief. No man wants to see his own backyard catch on fire. The fact that his two wives could coexist so peacefully made Qin Li feel like the luckiest man in the world!

However, he was quite curious about the elixirs the two women mentioned. Especially when Leng Yao had fought against the group from the Iron-blooded Hall, moving like a butterfly flitting through flowers, casually tossing out explosive objects with astonishing power. Many of the Iron-blooded Hall’s experts had been killed by those very things!

’Could those be elixirs?’ Qin Li looked at Leng Yao, puzzled.

Leng Yao smiled and explained, "Husband, do you remember the Spirit Explosion Pill and the Black Demon Pill recorded in the Ancient Pill Formula?"

Qin Li frowned slightly. He thought for a moment—fortunately, his memory was still good—and recalled the matter. He nodded and said, "I remember now. Don’t tell me... those explosive things you were throwing were Spirit Explosion Pills?"

Leng Yao nodded with considerable pride. "Unexpected, isn’t it, Husband? The ingredients for the Spirit Explosion Pill can be found right here in this Mysterious Land! I’ve refined several hundred of them. You should take some later. They’re powerful enough to give even a Shattered Void realm Martial Artist a headache!"

Shangguan Shiyu nodded vigorously beside them. It was clear she had experienced the power of the Spirit Explosion Pill firsthand to have such a strong reaction.

"What about the Black Demon Pill? The one that’s said to be so potent that even an Earth Immortal would be grievously wounded if not killed by it. You’ve refined that too?" Qin Li asked in amazement.

Leng Yao nodded. "Unfortunately, I only managed to refine one. The ingredients for the Black Demon Pill are too hard to find, and I haven’t had a chance to test it. I don’t know if it’s really as powerful as the legends say."

As she spoke, Leng Yao took a small porcelain vial from her Storage Ring and handed it to Qin Li. "This contains the Black Demon Pill. I’ve already sealed the elixir with other materials. To use it, you just need to infuse it with Primordial Power and launch it. Make it explode in front of an enemy. Within a hundred-meter radius, even a tiny bit of contact with the skin will result in a deadly poisoning!"

Leng Yao then took out a larger porcelain vial. "This is the antidote. As long as you take it within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, your life will be safe."

Then, Leng Yao gave Qin Li a hundred Spirit Explosion Pills. Although her husband probably didn’t need them now, the pills were powerful. If his own power were ever depleted, the Spirit Explosion Pills would be an excellent treasure for self-preservation.

Qin Li couldn’t help but feel a little emotional. It was just as Shiyu had said. Over the past ten-plus years, their lives had changed so much. Many things that had seemed impossible in the past had now been achieved. And as his strength and perspective grew, the world was gradually coming into clearer focus for him.

Qin Li then gave three Blue Dream Fruits to Leng Yao. After learning of their value, Leng Yao treasured them and put them away carefully, saying she would never use them until she reached the peak of the Shattered Void realm.

Qin Li still had five Blue Dream Fruits left, which he set aside for the time being. The four ancestors of the Qin Family—Qin Haiyang, Qin Haijiang, Qin Haihe, and Qinling Mountain—were all between the Human Venerable and Earth Venerable realms. Their rate of improvement was far slower than that of young people like Leng Yao and Shiyu, so the Blue Dream Fruits wouldn’t be of much use to them.

Qin Li didn’t plan on letting these four ancestors participate in any more battles. Their very existence was of crucial importance to the entire Qin Family.

Although their strength wasn’t the highest, they were the spiritual pillars of the entire Qin Family!

If Qin Li was the main beam supporting the Qin Family, then the four ancestors were the other supporting pillars, equally indispensable.

Finally, Qin Li called his parents and Qin Xue into the room.

When Qin Hanyue and Qin Wenxuan saw Qin Li, their faces lit up with joy. The more they looked at him, the more they liked what they saw. Qin Hanyue even came over to stroke Qin Li’s face, saying with a touch of heartache, "My precious boy, how come Mom finds you’ve gotten thinner?"

Beside them, Qin Xue watched Qin Li with a radiant smile. She too was very happy to see him.

A flash of warmth went through Qin Li’s heart. "Mom, I haven’t gotten thinner. In fact, you’ve gotten more and more beautiful!"

"You little brat!" Qin Hanyue rolled her eyes at Qin Li. "Teasing your own mother now!"

"Hehe, how could Mom get old? Mom will always be this young. Right, Sis?" Qin Li said, looking at Qin Xue with a grin.

Qin Xue smiled and nodded. The little crush she once had on Qin Li had now been completely replaced by a familial affection that, while not by blood, was stronger than blood. She felt that being Qin Li’s older sister wasn’t so bad after all.

The group sat down, smiling. Qin Wenxuan asked a few questions about the situation in the Land of the Far West, and Qin Li answered them one by one. The other three found his tales to be incredibly perilous.

Qin Hanyue said, "My dear son, Mom won’t allow you to take such risks anymore. But this adventure was worth it, I suppose. As long as Miss Bu and the others are all well, Mom can rest easy."

Qin Wenxuan, listening from the side, gave a bitter smile in his heart. ’Rest easy about what? That your several daughters-in-law are safe?’

As if she could read Qin Wenxuan’s mind, Qin Hanyue shot her husband a look and said, "Let me tell you, our son is our son, and you are you. You had better just focus on your cultivation. If you dare to get any other ideas, just you watch what I..."

At this point, Qin Hanyue realized she was in front of her son and daughter and felt a little embarrassed. She huffed, leaving the rest of her threat unspoken.

Qin Li cast a sympathetic glance at his father and inwardly celebrated. ’Thank goodness Shiyu isn’t like my old lady, or I’d really be in for it!’

Qin Li asked Qin Xue, "Sis, what realm have you reached now?"

Before Qin Xue could speak, Qin Hanyue cut in. "Your sister has always worked incredibly hard. Whenever Leng Yao has any top-quality elixirs, she gives them to her. So, your sister has already reached the Earth Venerable realm!"

Qin Li hadn’t expected Qin Xue to have reached such a realm at all. Hearing this now, he was quite surprised. He gave Qin Xue a thumbs-up. "Sis, you’re amazing!"

Qin Xue’s pretty face flushed slightly, and she smiled shyly. Inside, however, a storm of mixed emotions churned. ’Haven’t I been working this desperately, this hard, just so I wouldn’t be looked down upon?’

Now, to receive a word of praise from her younger brother was, to Qin Xue, more wonderful than the most beautiful words of love in the world.

Qin Hanyue watched this scene with great satisfaction. It was so heartwarming and comforting!