Chapter 410: Chapter 400: Return to Reality

Mrs. Qiao listened to her husband, and though large teardrops continued to stream down her face, she nodded.

"We’ve been so lucky. I never imagined our family of three could be reunited again. These days feel like they were stolen. I’ve lived every single one so carefully, cherishing it completely, terrified of letting it slip away. It all feels so unreal."

It was true. If Tang Mo hadn’t come, Xiao Jin’s family would never have been reunited.

Qiao Jin would have died deep in the mountains. Mrs. Qiao would have died from illness. And George Lin, his family torn apart, would have spent his days in a daze before ultimately succumbing to starvation, never to recover.

But now, they were living with such abundance and hope. Their family of three was reunited, fulfilling their greatest wish, and they had even been granted this time of joy and happiness. They had truly received so much already.

Besides, their daughter was leaving to fulfill a mission, to do something great. What right did they have to stand in her way?

If not for the Strength their daughter had obtained, they would have left this world long ago.

"Xiao Jin, you must always remember that Mom and Dad love you. We’ll always love you, no matter where you are."

The Strength that didn’t belong to her surged in Tang Mo’s chest. She didn’t know what expression was on her face, only that her cheeks were wet.

The Strength of the last bead to appear, the one of unknown origin, suddenly swelled, becoming almost identical to the others.

At that moment, Tang Mo was certain. The bead was good; it was something that would never harm her. Stored within was the energy of human emotion, the purest and most sincere feelings transformed.

When Tang Mo first arrived in this world, she had treated it as just a game quest. Nothing in it seemed real to her.

Even knowing it was a parallel world, she saw all the people as virtual characters. If not for the mission she had to complete, their lives and deaths—the fate of the entire world—would have meant nothing to her.

But as time went on, Tang Mo discovered that wasn’t the case.

Regardless of whether this world was virtual or not, she was certain of one thing: the emotions she experienced here were real.

True feelings can’t be faked. She could feel them clearly, with all her heart.

Finally, Tang Mo used her spiritual power to strengthen George Lin and Mrs. Qiao’s bodies one last time. She couldn’t make any guarantees, but at the very least, a strengthened body would make them less susceptible to illness. That gave her some peace of mind.

Lastly, Tang Mo flew back and forth several times to the deep mountains where she had been trapped upon first arriving in this world. She transported all the food she had stored there and gave it to George Lin and Mrs. Qiao.

This was the last provision she could leave them. With George Lin’s intellect and Mrs. Qiao’s resourcefulness, she was sure the two of them would have no trouble surviving in this environment.

After everything was done, just as she expected, Tang Mo saw the "door" in her room.

She stepped through without a moment’s hesitation. After a flash of white light, the person known as Qiao Jin truly ceased to exist in this world.

When Tang Mo opened her eyes, the first thing she felt was cold—a biting cold that threatened to freeze her solid. She immediately enveloped herself in her spiritual power, which brought instant relief.

Once warmth returned to her body, she had the energy to survey her surroundings.

An endless expanse of white met her eyes. Before she left, this place had merely been cold and snowy. Now, it was a frozen wasteland, cold enough to be lethal.

Large and small Protective Shields dotted the landscape, the closest less than a hundred meters away. It seemed that entering the Illusion World from a certain spot meant you would exit nearby.

There were more of those glowing domes than when she had left. Apparently, the Spirit Attribute Superpower Users had realized the importance of spiritual power. Everyone was training diligently, and more and more of them were able to create Protective Shields with their spiritual power.

However, the color of the shields was growing increasingly faint. It was clear they had been struggling to maintain them.

When Tang Mo walked into the largest Protective Shield, everyone looked up, their faces lighting up with joyous surprise.

"Tang Mo’s back! That bastard is finished!"

"This is great! We’re saved!"

"Tang Mo’s finally back! She’s finally back!"

Everyone swarmed around her, chattering excitedly. Tang Mo was utterly confused. From their fragmented words, it sounded like something major had happened while she was away.

Making her way through the crowd, Tang Mo went to find her mother, Lin Yi.

Before she even got close, she saw her mother sitting beside a tent, counting their food with intense concentration.

"Mom."

Lin Yi looked up at the sound of her voice.

"Momo! You’re back! You’re finally back!"

Seeing the daughter she had longed for day and night, Lin Yi shot to her feet, stumbling in her haste before she finally grasped her daughter’s hand.

For days, she had been waiting, dreaming of the moment her daughter would emerge from the Illusion Realm.

Thank goodness, that day had finally come.

"Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you? Are you hungry? Here, eat something!"

Lin Yi hurriedly stuffed the food she was holding into Tang Mo’s arms, then began looking her over from every angle, checking for injuries.

"Mom, I’m fine."

Tang Mo replied, then pulled her mother into a tight hug.

"Oh, you silly girl. What’s wrong? Did you suffer in there? We’re not going back, okay? We’re not going back."

Lin Yi froze for a moment at her daughter’s embrace. Ever since the apocalypse began, her daughter had grown stronger and stronger, and she rarely showed this kind of vulnerable, child-like affection anymore.

Lin Yi hugged her daughter back tightly. ’No matter how powerful she becomes,’ she thought, ’she’ll always be my little girl.’

Tang Mo held her mother quietly for a moment, then took her hand and sat down to hear what had happened while she was away.

What happened in the Illusion Realm was in the past; there was no need to dwell on it. But everything happening in the real world would determine their fate.

Bit by bit, Lin Yi slowly recounted everything that had happened while Tang Mo was gone.

The more Tang Mo listened, the deeper her brow furrowed. The moment Lin Yi finished, she stood up and went to find the people from Wuxi Village.

She had entrusted them with looking after this place, and now it was time to ask them exactly what the situation was.

The Protective Shield was large, but the Wuxi Village tents were distinctive and incredibly easy to find.

When the people of Wuxi Village saw that Tang Mo had returned, their faces filled with joy. Some even shed tears of relief.

The Sect Leader was so moved upon seeing her that he tried to kowtow. Tang Mo stopped him and gestured for the Sect Leader to lead her to a place where they could speak privately.

"Sect Leader, what exactly has been happening these past days?"

Tang Mo looked at the Sect Leader.

Then, combining the Sect Leader’s words with what her mother had told her, she pieced together everything that had occurred in her absence.

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