Back in the Thunderwind Realm, before Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu had risen to prominence, Liu Ao and Qian Duoduo were the top prodigies of their respective major powers. Though they didn't get along, they were quite familiar with each other.
In the Ten Thousand Prodigies Ranking battle, they fought fiercely. In the end, Liu Ao, teaming up with the Three Heroes of the Liu family, defeated Qian Duoduo and nearly killed him. The result was that Qian Duoduo didn't even make it into the top one hundred.
"You are... Liu Ao?"
Qian Duoduo exclaimed, and Ba'ernu's eyes widened in disbelief as they looked at the person before them.
Who would have thought they would encounter this old rival here?
He wasn't dead?
Liu Yuxin explained,
"When we were in the Ghost Realm, we encountered my brother, so I brought him back, reshaped his body, and enrolled him in Yan Tower Academy."
Liu Ao also picked up his wine cup and toasted Qian Duoduo,
"Brother Qian, we are old friends. We interacted a lot in the Thunderwind Realm back then. I wronged you in the past, and I heard you've also killed many demons. I'll toast you."
"Hahaha, no big deal, no big deal. It's truly a joy to meet an old friend in a foreign land. Come, let's drink."
Qian Duoduo was very smart. He realized that if Wan Lei and Liu Ao, with their great enmity, had let bygones be bygones, then his own petty grievances were nothing.
"I say, Xin'er, you're not being fair. You went for drinks without inviting me, that's fine, but you didn't even invite me when your brother was resurrected? We were old acquaintances too.
And you! Back then, to avenge your brother and temper yourself, you'd pick fights with me for practice every chance you got. How many times did you beat me? I blame Liu Ao for all those beatings, and you didn't even invite me."
Recalling the past, Liu Yuxin felt a bit shy and a bit amused.
When she had first come out of seclusion, to avenge her brother, she challenged the prodigies of other factions one by one. Because Qian Duoduo had a good relationship with Wan Lei, she had beaten him quite a few times.
Thinking about it now, she was truly naive back then. She went to their sects to challenge them, and it would have been easy for them to kill her.
The fact that she could live to this day was solely because she was young then, and they didn't hold it against her.
"Weren't you in seclusion cultivation the whole time? We couldn't disturb you. What's up, have you broken through to the Immortal Realm?"
"Yes, I have broken through. Nunu is still a bit short, it'll probably take another year or two. I plan to try the assessment at the Five Elements Hall tomorrow."
The reason Qian Duoduo came to the restaurant was that he had broken through, and he was celebrating with Ba'ernu.
"That's fine. You can take the assessment tomorrow. It's best if you can get into the Five Elements Hall. The resources there are much better than those at Yan Tower Academy,"
Wan Liuchuan nodded.
"Speaking of which, how have you guys been at the Five Elements Hall for the past year or so? What have you been busy with? We haven't seen you come back to visit."
"Us? We cultivated for a while, did some disciple missions, and then Wan Lei pulled us into a team, along with the Son of the Immortal Venerable and others, to the Sea of Suffering battlefield.
We fought in two major battles there, killing many demons. Wan Lei was targeted by the demons, so we were recalled by the Immortal Venerable. Now, we're with the defense forces rescuing other worlds invaded by demons.
We just returned from one world. Here, this kid is the one Wan Lei brought back from that world. We just settled him into Yan Tower Academy."
Wan Liuchuan pointed at Liu Tao.
Qian Duoduo had noticed Liu Tao when he came in but hadn't asked about him. Now that Wan Liuchuan mentioned him, he asked what was going on.
Wan Liuchuan recounted Liu Tao's deeds with a smile. After listening, Qian Duoduo gave him a thumbs-up,
"You're quite something, kid. Very brave, with the demeanor of Wan Lei back then. Good, being favored by Wan Lei, you'll have no problem achieving great success in the future."
"You flatter me, senior. I'm just a nobody, lucky to have caught Captain Wan's eye. It's not worth mentioning."
Liu Tao quickly raised his wine cup to toast.
"Don't be like that. You clearly have the aura of a protagonist, much better than me. I have many friends in the academy. I'll take you back with me later, and I'll say a word to them, have them look out for you."
"Thank you so much, senior."
Liu Tao was overwhelmed with gratitude. He felt it was his lucky day. To him, those who were once high and mighty, and wouldn't even glance at him, were all so warm and caring towards him today.
Of course, after decades of living at the bottom, he also understood that in terms of ugliness and suffering, every world was the same.
They were so good to him, allowing him to sit at the same table and drink with them, all for the sake of that person named Wan Lei.
He was just fortunate to be favored by Wan Lei, and Wan Lei's friends were all decent people.
Of course, having said that, he was still very grateful to these people.
This kind of recognition and help was something he had never experienced in his decades of life.
After eating and drinking well, everyone parted ways. Wan Liuchuan and Xin'er returned to the Five Elements Hall, while Qian Duoduo and Liu Ao brought Liu Tao back to Yan Tower Academy.
Upon returning to the Five Elements Hall, the two looked around. They heard that Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu had both gone into seclusion in the Creation Pagoda, so they didn't go home and entered the Creation Pagoda to cultivate.
Wan Lei had broken through to the peak of the Taiheng Realm some time ago. His mastery of the Path of Order was nearing completion, and he had touched the threshold of the Boundless Realm, needing only one final push.
As long as his Supreme Dao technique was completely perfected, he could smoothly break through to the Boundless Realm.
In the Immortal Realm, only by possessing one's complete Dao technique, possessing a Dao Domain, and becoming a Boundless Realm expert could one truly be considered a powerhouse.
Even if one went to other parts of the Immortal Realm continent or into the starry sky, they could establish their own sects and be revered as Grandmasters.
Therefore, as soon as Wan Lei returned, he immediately went into secluded cultivation, striving to break through his cultivation as soon as possible, so he could face the demons with more ease.
Accompanying him in seclusion were Fang Xiaoyu, the Four Little Ones, and others. They were all sitting in a space on the second floor of the Creation Pagoda.
They remained in seclusion for a full half year.
Beep beep beep...
A series of urgent spiritual scroll rings awakened everyone.
"Who is it? You go into seclusion without turning off your phone?"
Xia Yubing, whose comprehension was forcibly interrupted, said with dissatisfaction.
"Turn off your phone? What if there's a mission? Should we have the Immortal Venerable come and call you?"
Wan Lei scoffed.
"It would be fine if they came and called us too."
"That's the same as the ringing, we'd still have to get up."
Wan Lei smiled and opened the spiritual scroll, and his smile instantly vanished.
"Brothers, quickly call everyone to assemble. We have a mission."
[Thunder Rain Squad Support Mission: Lead the defense forces to quickly rush to the Martial Spirit Realm for support. Millions of defense forces are gathering and will be ready in half an hour. The spatial jump point is being calibrated and will be completed in one hour.]