"Here it is, Yu'er," Zheng Ru placed the item over the table and said while smiling, "I've deliberately wrapped it up just because you love unwrapping gifts, don't you?"

Hearing his words, a smile naturally formed on Feng Yu's face as she asked, "It looks so big, just what is wrapped inside?"

"Well, time for you to find out," Zheng Ru gestured for her to approach the item and unwrap it herself.

There was a hint of anticipation apparent on his face, which further stoked Feng Yu's curiosity.

'Just what did he prepare…' she thought to herself while approaching the item on the table.

It looked like a rectangular frame the size of an adult's torso.

Reaching towards the knot on the silk cloth, she undid it and pulled the cloth off the next moment.

A familiar scent of oil paint invaded her nose the next moment as her eyes fell upon the portrait placed in front of her.

"This…"

Feng Yu couldn't help but hold her breath for a few seconds as her eyes fully absorbed the oil painting in front of her.

It was a family portrait consisting of four people.

Behind two chairs, Feng Yu and Yi Chen stood next to each other in an intimate manner, wearing light coloured robes.

Below them, in the chair, was Zheng Ru, sitting with a happy and prideful smile on his face.

If it were only this much, then Feng Yu wouldn't have been this much affected.

The reason why this painting evoked such an intense feeling of nostalgia in her was the person who was sitting next to Zheng Ru.

It was her mother, Feng Xing.

Sitting gracefully with her hands resting on her lap, she induced life into the whole painting and brought a smile to Feng Yu's face.

"So how's it?" Zheng Ru asked with a grin from the side and continued, "I came up with this idea a week ago and got it made.

I wanted to surprise you tomorrow morning by placing it in the main hall, but when I thought about it this evening, this really felt like the best parting gift I could give you."

"Father…it really is the best," she tightly hugged her father and said, "Thank you, I'll treasure it forever,"

Zheng Ru just smiled at her intimate action and reciprocated.

'This is the last time I'll be hugging my little girl, isn't it?' A rueful expression formed on Zheng Ru's face the next moment.

A few seconds later, when Feng Yu released the hug, she saw her father's smiling expression.

"Let's move towards the garden, Elder Jing must be waiting," he recalled with an aching smile.

"Alright,"

Seeing his well-intentioned smile, Feng Yu pursed her lips and, with a nod, turned towards the table to pick up the portrait.

"Ah, I'll carry it, don't worry." Yi Chen took a step ahead and picked it up the next moment.

"Thank you…" she nodded with a heavy feeling in her chest and walked with them outside the hall.

The night sky was clear and starry with a moon partially visible.

A while later, they finally stopped at a point. A few meters ahead, Elder Jing was waiting inside a circular inscription marking she had drawn on the ground.

It was currently inactive but still shone with a subtle trace of blue in the dark night.

Realising that this was the time for separation, she breathed deeply and turned towards her father.

"I'll be going then, father, please take care of yourself," Feng Yu said sincerely while pursing her lips.

"Silly girl, I should be the one who should be telling you that." Zheng Ru said while feigning an annoyed expression.

This prompted a giggle from Feng Yu as the tears that were brimming in her eyes trickled down.

Seeing this scene, tears started brimming in Zheng Ru's eyes as well.

However, not wanting to show her his tears, Zheng Ru immediately turned his face to the side to hide it and told Yi Chen.

"Chen'er, accompany Yu'er till she reaches that inscription since you need to hand the portrait to Elder Jing,"

Understanding his intentions, Yi Chen responded without a second thought, "Understood, Father."

Turning towards Feng Yu, whose eyes were still staring longingly towards her father, he called, "Yu'er, let's go."

"Goodbye Father," Feng Yu said and knowing that her father wasn't in a state to reply, she turned her back towards him and went towards the inscription.

Seeing her daughter's departing back, tears finally started trickling down Zheng Ru's face without a pause.

Meanwhile, Yi Chen, who was walking along with Feng Yu, suddenly said, "Believe in what I told you earlier. I'll make it happen."

Feng Yu didn't answer. She just saw this as Yi Chen's attempt to make her feel better.

'When he'll reach that cultivation stage…he'll naturally understand,' she thought to herself as they soon reached the inscription.

"It's fine even if you don't believe me, I'll just give you a surprise at that time," he said with a grin.

His words finally prompted her to glance towards him.

Seeing the confident smile plastered on his face, an irrational side of her felt like believing in his words, but she soon shook that thought away.

"Greetings, Elder Jing," Yi Chen gave a short bow, the next moment and handed the portrait to her.

"Please keep it safe," he added.

"I will," Elder Jing nodded seriously and placed the portrait inside her pendant.

"Is it time?" Feng Yu asked her the next moment.

"Yes, Empress. Taking into account the inscription's activation time, we are just in time," Elder Jing informed.

"Alright," Turning towards Yi Chen, she said, "Keep revising everything that I have taught today and cultivate diligently."

"No problem," he answered confidently while standing there.

A subtle hint of disappointment flashed in Feng Yu's eyes the next moment as she said, "Then we'll be activating the inscription…so you should move back."

However, instead of listening to her words, Yi Chen took out a piece of neatly folded paper from his robes and said while placing it in her hand.

"Read it when I've moved back," he muttered.

"What's th-"

Before Feng Yu could complete her words, Yi Chen held her face firmly in both hands and the next moment his lips passionately lodged themselves onto hers.

Her eyes widened from embarrassment and surprise, but the feeling of wanting to reciprocate shattered those petty feelings and closing her eyes, she fully immersed herself in the act.

A few breaths later, under Elder Jing's shell-shocked eyes, their lips finally separated.

An intoxicated expression was apparent on Feng Yu's face as she did so.

"In that sheet of paper is a small glimpse of my ability. I can only reveal this much to you for now, but I hope this will make you worry less and believe in me a little more."

With those words, he waved his hand towards her while slowly walking backwards.

"See you soon, Yu'er," he said with a confident grin.

Feng Yu wanted to reply, but before she could, Elder Jing had turned on the Inscription because they were running short of time.

The next moment, blue Qi rose from the marking on the ground, and soon the two of them were enclosed inside a huge bluish cylinder. It was the true form of the protection inscription.

From inside, Feng Yu could only see a hazy figure of Yi Chen who was standing a bit away from the inscription.

The image was slowly disappearing as the Qi walls started turning opaque.

At that moment, she suddenly glanced at the piece of paper in her hand and opened it up.

As her eyes went through the details written on that piece of paper, a deep frown appeared on her face.

There were two points mentioned on that piece of paper. He mentioned that he was writing the first point to make her believe his second point.

However, Feng Yu was finding both of those points hard to believe.

The next moment, with a sceptical expression, Feng Yu asked Elder Jing, "Grand Elder, have you ever mentioned your age to anyone in this realm?"

Elder Jing was a bit taken aback by this weird question, but still responded quickly, "I-I have not, Empress. I've never discussed it with anyone."

"I see," Feng Yu nodded to herself and asked her the next moment, "State your age in years."

"…It's 2978 years," Elder Jing responded with confusion clearly written on her face. (A/N: Refer to Chapter 12)

Seeing the number matching exactly with what was written on the paper, Feng Yu's Qi immediately suppressed Elder Jing's body as she asked her again, "Are you sure you didn't share it with anyone? Not even Yi Chen?"

Elder Jing felt her innards constricting because of this extreme pressure as she struggled to reply, "I-It's the t-truth, Empress, I never shared it with anyone!"

The pressure finally died down, and Elder Jing took a breath of relief.

However, the frown on Feng Yu's forehead became deeper and deeper.

'Doesn't that mean that he's telling the truth?!' she thought while glancing at the second point written on the paper.

'To think there would be 160 Hidden Qi points in the body…'

She thought to herself in disbelief. At the same time, a seed of hope started taking root in her heart.

'Yi Chen…can you really do it?' she thought with pursed lips. She wanted to immediately stop Elder Jing and ask Yi Chen for confirmation but-

"Empress, it's time!" Elder Jing exclaimed all of a sudden and grabbed onto the walls for support.

The whole protection inscription started to vibrate the next moment before being lifted up.

Yi Chen and Zheng Ru, who were observing this from the outside, saw an invisible suction forming right on top of the Protection inscription and the next moment, it was completely sucked in by it.

Zheng Ru exhaled loudly, seeing this scene and said to Yi Chen the next moment, "It's late Chen'er, let's go and sleep."

"Father," Yi Chen suddenly called him out and said, "Now that all your injuries are healed and your cultivation is back, let's do our best together and ascend!"

A weary chuckle left Zheng Ru's mouth when he heard his energetic words.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow in the training hall, then."

Zheng Ru answered and soon left for his quarter. There were a lot of things going on in his mind right now, and all he wanted to do was sleep.

[End of Volume 1]

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