Chapter 457: Returning Home Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Jay After they had their meal, the gate of the Imperial City’s inner city had opened on time. Duan Ling Tian put down the silver and paid the bill, then he brought Mo Yu along to leave the restaurant and enter the inner city. The inner city was similar to the outer city. There wasn’t a large change compared to a few years before. Duan Ling Tian followed along the familiar road to go directly towards his own courtyard house, and Duan Ling Tian’s heartbeat suddenly became faster and faster... He was currently even more nervous than when facing a Void Initiation Stage expert. Nervousness when approaching home! This was exactly Duan Ling Tian’s current feelings. Finally, Duan Ling Tian arrived outside a courtyard house. This courtyard house was personally bought by him that day, and the scenes from the past were still vivid in his mind, as if it was only yesterday. Duan Ling Tian stood before the courtyard house door, then raised his hand, yet his hand didn’t descend for a long time... Mo Yu and the little gold mouse could feel the heaviness of the atmosphere. They maintained their silence and did not disturb Duan Ling Tian. Finally, Duan Ling Tian took a deep breath and his hand descended to knock on the door. Knock! Knock! Duan Ling Tian withdrew his hand after knocking twice, and he was able to hear a wave of footsteps approaching. In next to no time, the door was opened and a familiar figure appeared before Duan Ling Tian... "Young Master!" Behind the door, the young woman saw Duan Ling Tian and she was stunned for a short moment, before crying out in pleasant surprise with an excited expression. "Jing Ru, long time no see." Duan Ling Tian lightly smiled as he nodded to the young woman. The young girl before him was none other than the Manager Duan Ling Tian found for his own courtyard house, Jing Ru. Jing Ru calmed her feelings after a long time, then said with a light smile, "Young Master, the Madam will surely be extremely happy if she knows you’ve returned." "How’s my mom lately?" Duan Ling Tian had an eager expression when he heard Jing Ru mention his mother. "Don’t worry Young Master, Madam is extremely well... Princess Bi Yao and Miss Xiao Lan pay the Madam a visit every now and then, and it never changed throughout these past few years. So Madam has never been lonely." Jing Ru spoke slowly. "I’ve troubled the two of them." Duan Ling Tian nodded then introduced Mo Yu and Jing Ru to each other before walking into the courtyard house. "Jing Yu, we’ll be staying for some time... Clean up a room for Mo Yu." Duan Ling Tian instructed Jing Ru. "Yes." Jing Ru replied respectfully, then led Mo Yu away. "Little Gold, go play yourself... Don’t go too far. I’m going to go see my mother," Duan Ling Tian said to the little gold mouse then walked towards the rear courtyard after the little gold mouse left his shoulder. The rear courtyard was full of flowers and plants, and it had changed greatly. After all, a few years had passed. Duan Ling Tian walked into the rear courtyard and he saw a familiar graceful figure watering the flowers and plants with a single glance, causing his heart to tremble. Finally, Duan Ling Tian took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement that was difficult to restrain in his heart, and he said slowly, "Mom." Mom. Duan Ling Tian had only just finished speaking when the graceful figure in the distance abruptly trembled. Subsequently, the graceful figure turned around to reveal a drop dead gorgeous appearance... "Tian... Tian!" A few years had passed and Li Rou seemed to have not changed much, yet her pair of beautiful eyes seemed to become slightly experienced. She had an excited expression when she saw Duan Ling Tian and her body started to tremble lightly. "Mom, your unfilial son has returned!" Duan Ling Tian took a few steps forward then knelt before Li Rou as he spoke straight from the heart. At this moment, Duan Ling Tian’s was trembling in excitement as he looked at Li Rou’s face. His eyes were moist and he forced out a slight smile on his face. Although he’d unintentionally possessed Duan Ling Tian’s body all those years ago, the various things that Li Rou had done for him all through these years had caused him to take Li Rou as his own mother since long ago, and there wasn’t the slightest unnaturalness. After so many years, when he saw Li Rou again, at the same time that his heart was trembling, he was like a child that had lost his way and had once again found the beacon to guide him on ahead. "Tian, what’re you doing? It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back..." Li Rou hurriedly helped Duan Ling Tian up, then tiptoed to look at Duan Ling Tian’s face in detail before muttering. "Grown up, my Tian has grown up..." "Mom!" Duan Ling Tian spread open his arms and tightly embraced Li Rou, and the tears accumulated in his eyes were difficult to restrain and they poured down. A man doesn’t easily shed tears, only because he hasn’t encountered something saddening. Li Rou lightly patted Duan Ling Tian on the back, and her peerlessly beautiful face revealed a gratified smile. The mother and son pair only split up after a long time. "Tian, where are Ke Er and Fei?" Li Rou looked towards behind Duan Ling Tian and asked when she noticed that there was no one. Duan Ling Tian was able to see the yearning that filled Li Rou’s eyes, and he lightly smiled. "Mom, Ke Er and Fei went on a long journey with a senior of the sect some time ago... They’ll come visit you once they’re done." At the same time that he said this, Duan Ling Tian’s heart was filled with bitterness. Now that the annihilation of the Seven Star Sword Sect had become an inevitable outcome already, it wouldn’t be long before the news of the Seven Star Sword Sect’s annihilation would probably spread throughout the entire Azure Forest Imperial Kingdom. At that time, the Alkaid Peak’s Master, Qin Xiang would surely receive the news and wouldn’t return to the Seven Star Sword Sect... "I hope Ke Er and Little Fei can return to the Crimson Sky Kingdom as soon as possible," Duan Ling Tian silently said in his heart. He’d already decided that he would stay in the Crimson Sky Kingdom for some time and wait for Ke Er and Little Fei to return... He believed that after they found out about the news of the Seven Star Sword Sect’s annihilation, Ke Er and Li Fei would surely return. This place was also their roots. "Good, good." Li Rou didn’t doubt Duan Ling Tian’s words, then she held Duan Ling Tian’s hand and pulled Duan Ling Tian into the pergola and sat down. "Tian, tell mother your experiences throughout these past few year." Obviously, Li Rou was filled with curiosity towards Duan Ling Tian’s experiences during these past few years. Duan Ling Tian lightly smiled, and besides the matter of the Seven Star Sword Sect’s annihilation, he didn’t conceal anything else and spoke of them one by one. Li Rou listened earnestly. Every time she heard an alarmingly dangerous parts of his experiences, Li Rou wouldn’t be able to refrain from breaking out in cold sweat for Duan Ling Tian. She never imagined that her son had experienced so much in a short few years, even to the extent that he’d passed by the gates of hell. "Tian." Li Rou held Duan Ling Tian’s hand, as if she was deeply afraid that Duan Ling Tian would leave if she let go. Duan Ling Tian could feel the moistness that came from Li Rou’s hand, he knew that his mother was worried about him, and he couldn’t help but console her. "Mom, don’t worry. Aren’t I alright? Your son is lucky and is surely able to turn calamities into blessings at the necessary moment." Li Rou nodded lightly, yet the worry contained in her beautiful eyes didn’t reduce in the slightest. "Mom, this is the 10,000 Year Stalactite Milk I spoke of earlier." Duan Ling Tian withdrew two bottles of 10,000 Year Stalactite Milk and passed it to Li Rou. "Mom’s natural talent will improve to the limit of Cloud Continent once you consume this 10,000 Year Stalactite Milk... At that time, your cultivation will yield twice the results from before." At the same time that Duan Ling Tian passed the 10,000 Year Stalactite Milk to Li Rou, he extended out his Spiritual Force to sweep towards Li Rou. In next to no time, Duan Ling Tian’s eyes stared wide open. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮 "Mom... You... You actually broke through to the third level of the Nascent Soul Stage?" Duan Ling Tian had a surprised expression after he detected Li Rou’s current cultivation. The advancement of Li Rou’s cultivation had slightly exceeded his expectations. "If Mother doesn’t cultivate diligently, then wouldn’t I be completely surpassed by you and those two little girls? At that time, how would mother protect all of you?" Li Rou spoke as if it was so simple, but Duan Ling Tian was able to feel the hardships hidden within it. He knew clearly in his heart that besides the contribution of the top cultivation method, Demonic Beauty Divine Technique that he passed down to her, the reason his mother’s cultivation advanced so quickly was even more because of her hard work. His mother had surely cultivated extremely painstakingly these past few years. "Mom, you don’t have to do that... I’ll be satisfied so long as you properly enjoy a happy life and pass your days happily." Duan Ling Tian took a deep breath and his voice was slightly trembling. "Silly child." Li Rou lightly shook her head as she smiled. "Mom doesn’t have anything to do anyway, so cultivating more isn’t a bad thing... Also, I passed down that Demonic Beauty Divine Technique to Yao and Lan, you won’t blame mother, right?" As she finished speaking, Li Rou looked at Duan Ling Tian with a gaze filled with a dubiousness. "Of course I won’t. Since I’ve passed that cultivation method to mom, then mom can deal with it anyhow mom likes... It’s enough so long as you’re happy." Duan Ling Tian disregarded the dubiousness in Li Rou’s gaze and spoke with a light smile. He naturally knew that the Yao and Lan that his mother spoke of was none other than Princess Bi Yao and Xiao Lan. Duan Ling Tian couldn’t help but sigh in his heart when he thought of those two women who were beautiful like flowers and possessed good looks that weren’t inferior to Ke Er and Little Fei... Sometimes, having such a great charm seems to not be a good thing. Li Rou shook her head slightly helplessly, as she was able to discern that her son was avoiding it. Li Rou couldn’t help but feel pity when she thought of the lovely woman that silently stayed by her side and waited for Duan Ling Tian. "Tian, mom knows that your heart is only on Ke Er and Fei. But, Mom doesn’t want you to hurt Yao and Lan... Do you understand?" "Mom, I understand. I’ll talk to them when I have the time... Don’t worry." Duan Ling Tian lightly nodded. Perhaps, some things have come to the time to be settled. He couldn’t make these two beauties that were as pretty as flowers to wait for him for their entire lives. "That’s good." A smile appeared on Li Rou’s face, then she asked. "Right, Tian. How long do you intend to stay this time?" As Li Rou spoke, her beautiful eyes were filled with anticipation. From her own personal point of view, she naturally hoped that Duan Ling Tian was able to stay at home for a bit longer. There was a common folk saying, a mother is worried when the child has gone on a journey. "I don’t know for now... But, I’ll try my best to stay a little longer and accompany mom longer." Duan Ling Tian’s eyes were filled with warmth, and his heart had completely calmed after returning home. The boundless restlessness that had arose from the annihilation of the Seven Star Sword Sect by the Azure Forest Tri-Sect had completely been suppressed now, and it was buried deep within his heart... The smile on Li Rou’s face grew wider when she heard Duan Ling Tian. "Tian, since you’re returned, then go to the Divine Might Marquis Estate and notify your Uncle Nie... Besides that, make a trip to the Duan Clan and the Imperial Palace. Both of them have never treated mother unfairly these past few years."