The passage between the Primordial Sands and the Upper Star Ruin was the source of their anxiety. Grand Xia Voidback now had teleportation formations, which Tianming controlled. The flameyellow divinities, Primordial Sands primalwingers, and Grand Xia imperials had initially anticipated a long period of peaceful development, but less than a century later, another upheaval had taken place. The sudden appearance of the passage had disrupted their plans.

“Emperor!”

Nonetheless, Tianming had returned from the Realm of Chaos showing monumental growth. Faith sparked a light deep within the eyes of everyone on the Sun, including his inner circle, the flameyellow divinities, those from the Primordial Sands, and the devas who had surrendered.

Tianming smiled at them. The first thing he did was to awaken the Yin Chens throughout the Upper Star Ruin so they could provide him with critical information. Next, he proceeded to meet with Wudi and the imperial-star elders.

Wudi’s progress was remarkable; he was now a thousand-meter-tall heavencosmic god. Even so, he seemed less like a father around Tianming. His increased combat power improved his control over the Flameyellow Guard Formation and the Flameyellow Coffin. With these powers, he was able to establish himself as an expert, albeit to a lesser extent.

His strength waxed and waned with the Sun’s own might. Like Tianming, he had two avenues of growth. Tianming advanced through his own cultivation and his omnisentient threads, while Wudi’s progress was linked to the Sun and his own cultivation.

“The enemy has yet to deploy their forces. We currently have a billion cosmic gods guarding the entrance. Fortunately, there’s some cosmic turbulence and the passage isn’t very wide, which naturally limits the number of people who can cross all at once.” Wudi immediately addressed the issue.

“Alright, I’ll head over there in a bit.” Tianming nodded.

War wasn’t an immediate threat.

“We’ve received no intelligence from the Eightpart Pantheons yet. We’ll have to rely on Master Chen," Wudi said.

"It's already gathering intelligence.”

Tianming then turned to the five imperial-star elders and said, "Don’t worry. This day arrived sooner than predicted, but my progress has also exceeded expectations. We’re not afraid if it comes to war.”

"I heard from your godfather that you’re also fighting a battle in the Realm of Chaos. I fear the strain will be too much, which will allow our enemies to exploit your weaknesses,” Mushan Hong said.

"The cosmos is on the threshold of an unprecedented era of change. History is written by the victor. No matter the circumstances, our only path forward is to rise and fight to change history." After returning to the role of Galactic Emperor, Tianming spoke with far greater authority and presence.

"Yes!"

His words and unwavering resolve reassured the five imperial-star elders.

"For the Tianming Dynasty, for the flameyellow divinities, and above all, to restore the imperial star to its full glory!" Tianming stretched out his hand.

Tianming, Wudi, and the five imperial-star elders joined hands, their eyes burning with zeal.

He proceeded to apologize to the elders. "There’s been some unexpected issues involving Little Fish, but I’ll do everything I can to make things right."

"We recognize your deep trust and love for Tian Jiu, but this matter is of paramount importance. We urge you to uncover her true nature and get to the bottom of everything surrounding her change. If she’s truly lost to us, then our nation and future generations must come first!" said Dongfang Taisheng.

"Of course." Tianming nodded.

Even now, his trust in Moran remained unshaken. He was sure there was some complication beyond their control and was determined to fix it.

Yin Chen began to track the Eightpart Pantheons’ movements, while Tianming took the opportunity to see Qingyu.

“How is she? Has my baby hatched yet?” Tianming asked eagerly.

“Not yet, but she’s grown. She can sense when I’m around, and sometimes it really feels like she’s communicating with me.” Qingyu’s days were consumed by endless cultivation and babysitting.

Tianming entered the palace and spotted the mini golden crystal star, which instantly knew who he was. It moved to his arms and snuggled up affectionately.

“Good job! You found Daddy right away.” A warm, fatherly smile lit up his face while he tenderly caressed the crystal star.

“I’ll look after the child. Ling’er seems to be struggling lately. You should go check on her,” Qingyu said with some concern.

"I don’t need you to remind me, thank you."

Tianming had already intended to visit the mother after he saw the child.

After bonding with the crystal star for a little longer, Tianming tossed Qingyu the smallest dazzling radiance and said, "You should be able to use this now. After you absorb the first one, things will be much easier going forward. Your order is less complicated than mine, so you’ll probably progress much faster than me if you use this.”

Tianming, Qingyu, and Wudi were all geniuses. While the father and daughter had less innate talent than Tianming, they had the advantage of simplicity. This gave them a significant edge in breaking through cultivation levels and consolidating their orders.

"Sure!" Qingyu put away the dazzling radiance and shot him a fierce glare. It seemed she was unhappy that he had married four more beauties in the Realm of Chaos.

"I have an older brother in the Realm of Chaos," " Tianming blurted.

"How does it feel?" Qingyu asked.

"It's nice." Glancing at her, he sighed, "Honestly, it feels great to have siblings to share this life with. I'm incredibly grateful for you, and for him, too." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Less talk, more of these red orbs." Qingyu chuckled.

"You're getting more and more rude!" Tianming glared at her.

"Do you think looking after a child is easy?" Qingyu rolled her eyes.

Tianming couldn’t be bothered to listen to her nag anymore. Turning around, he soared through the fiery clouds and appeared among the stars. The Primordial Sands no longer obscured the stars, turning this area into an improved version of the Lower Star Ruins filled with starlight. But for Tianming, Feiling remained the brightest star.

He approached the golden crystal star, where he found her still surrounded by the cage. The gray-pink energy relentlessly gnawed at her body. Her life force fluctuated precariously as she resisted with every passing moment.

Perhaps Tianming’s presence bolstered her will. Her energy roared back to life, instantly suppressing the gray-pink energy, and the gold light blazed with renewed intensity.

"Ling'er." Tianming stood beside her, gazing intently at the perfect crystal star.

He seemed to catch her familiar scent, and was instantly transported back to his days as a mortal, to the feeling of her hair gently brushing his cheek. Her smile, her slender waist, her skin—every detail returned with vivid clarity, as did that unforgettable, lingering memory of her Cicada Blast.