The great door creaked open. Wan Qingyi, his gaze unwavering, carried an air of authority, though his mind was occupied with the noisy door and whether it needed replacing.
The main hall was finally revealed, with Wan Qingyi leading the way. Behind him followed Wan Lei, Fang Xiaoyu, the Thunderstorm Squad, and the elders of the Five Elements Hall as they stepped inside.
The first thing that greeted their eyes were four statues: three large and one small.
At the very center stood a statue of Wan Qingyi. Despite fifty thousand years having passed, it was well-maintained, its figure an exact replica of Wan Qingyi.
"Alas, time. I was so young back then. Now, I am truly old," Wan Qingyi sighed with a weathered voice.
Wan Lei couldn't help but roll his eyes. Brother, you became a Saint when you were hundreds of years old. You're immortal, your lifespan is as long as heaven and earth. Where did you get old from?
He then shifted his gaze to the statues on the sides.
"Your statues are also quite good. Well done for not smashing this old man's statue and throwing it down the mountain. That shows filial piety."
"Ancestor, it's not too late to smash it now. I've always felt your statue there is quite obstructive."
Upon hearing Wan Lei's words, Wan Hongxin, Old Fang, and the other elders of the Thunder Emperor Hall all broke out in a cold sweat. How could they be so disrespectful to their ancestor?
Wan Qingyi turned, patted Wan Lei on the shoulder, and said with a smile,
"Actually, I can smash it and throw it down for you right now."
"Ancestor, look behind me."
Wan Lei pointed behind him.
"Many people. What about them?"
"No, it's many of my people. They are all my subjects, and this world is also my world."
"..."
Wan Qingyi was speechless.
"So, I'm superfluous, am I?"
"Sir, times have changed. This world has undergone a dynastic shift."
Before Wan Lei could finish lamenting, a pat landed on the back of his head.
"You brat, are you trying to rebel?"
Then, Wan Qingyi noticed the small statue.
"Eh? Why is there a statue here?"
This statue was placed not far from the innermost part, standing to the side. It depicted a woman with a charming and naive face, joyfully waving her small hands.
As Qi Manyao entered, she saw her own statue. She didn't know where it came from but felt she shouldn't have a statue in such a solemn and dignified place as the Thunder Emperor Hall.
Wan Hongxin quickly stepped forward to explain,
"Reporting to the Ancestor, only those who have made great contributions and rendered immense service to the Thunder Wind Realm are qualified to have statues erected in the Thunder Emperor Hall.
For example, you, and also Lei'er and Xiaoyu. You are all great heroes who saved the Thunder Wind Realm. As for Qi Manyao, she risked her own life to save Lei'er, sacrificing herself to save both Lei'er and Xiaoyu.
Without her, Lei'er would likely have perished long ago, and the Thunder Wind Realm would have fallen under the iron hooves of the demon race.
Moreover, this statue was personally carved by Lei'er over three days and three nights. Both publicly and privately, it deserves to be placed here."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall looked towards Qi Manyao. Some looked at her with admiration, while others' gazes were ambiguous and playful, making Qi Manyao blush and her heart race, unable to raise her head.
"Alas, it was hard on Yao Yao. She suffered a lot. After coming to the Immortal Realm and becoming my disciple, I didn't teach her well. She's truly a good girl," Wan Qingyi sighed.
Qi Manyao was about to express her gratitude, but Wan Lei interjected first.
"Yao Yao? Can you call her that? Only I can call her those two words."
"...She's my disciple, your senior sister. What's wrong with me calling her Yao Yao?"
"Then, by your logic, can I also call Feng Sheng 'Qiu Qiu'?"
"...I see you've grown quite rebellious lately. Have you been slacking off recently?"
"Mainly, I have the strength now. If I don't flaunt it a bit, how can I live up to my strength?"
"Oh? You have strength? How about we spar outside? Let this master see how much substance you have."
"..."
Wan Lei rolled his eyes. This old man was shameless, actually bullying his junior.
After inspecting the main hall, they went through the back door to the inner palace.
The scale of the inner palace was larger than the front hall. Furthermore, this inner palace was not an inner palace in the traditional sense. After Wan Qingyi founded the Thunder Emperor Hall, his family and disciples all lived here.
Later, when the Thunder Emperor Hall was rebuilt, the inner palace housed only Wan Lei and his wife, the three Fire Phoenix maidens, and Qi Manyao. Others lived outside to avoid suspicion.
Even now, though the people who lived in the inner palace had left and it was completely empty, no one resided there, only maids were arranged to clean it daily.
The group followed Wan Qingyi to tour the inner palace. Since no one lived there anymore, there was no need to be concerned about appearances.
After leaving the main hall, Qi Manyao quietly squeezed over to Wan Lei's side, tugged on his sleeve, and whispered,
"Hey, did you really carve that statue yourself?"
"Yes."
Wan Lei nodded.
Qi Manyao pursed her lips and smiled slightly, her face flushing. She lowered her head and said softly,
"Thank you."
Seeing her adorable expression, Wan Lei couldn't resist reaching out and pinching her cheek, chuckling,
"What are you thanking me for? You're my concubine, after all. By the way, will you serve me tonight? If I'm satisfied, I'll make you a noble consort."
Qi Manyao slapped Wan Lei's hand away, her voice filled with indignation,
"Who's your concubine? You wish! And 'me'? Who do you think you are?"
Suddenly, two mischievous hands wrapped around Qi Manyao from behind. Fang Xiaoyu's small face peeked over Qi Manyao's shoulder, grinning wickedly,
"So you're serving tonight? Then you can warm our beds, wash our feet, and serve us!"
"Get away, get away, you two bad guys! You're disgusting! Who wants to serve you? You wish! You're always bullying me."
Qi Manyao broke free from Fang Xiaoyu's clutches and hurried forward.
"I'm going to check my courtyard. If anything's missing, it's definitely you stealing it."
"Hahahahahaha..."
Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu burst into laughter. Old Fang, watching this scene from behind, was a bit bewildered.
He certainly knew who Qi Manyao was, but judging by their reaction, his daughter and she seemed to be quite close?
And it looked like Wan Lei hadn't gotten anywhere with her yet.
He couldn't understand the relationship between these youngsters.
"That's the main palace of the inner court, where Xiao Yu and I live. We've lived here for a long time," Wan Lei pointed forward, smiling as he introduced the Thunderstorm Squad.
"I recall this being my main palace," Wan Qingyi said with a look of suspicion.
"I inherited your throne, so naturally, I inherited your palace," Wan Lei chuckled nonchalantly.
"Is this your home? I can finally see your home," Bao Bao smiled sweetly and ran ahead first.
"Damn it! We don't have palaces to live in, only our own courtyards. Wan Lei actually has such a huge palace! This is more unbearable than killing me," Xia Yu Bing gnashed her teeth with jealousy.