The little Daoist boy listened to the response from the Old Mother of Mount Li.
Looking slightly surprised, she remarked, "That is indeed a quite nice name. I didn't think the Big Green Snake had any naming skills at all."
Hearing this from behind, Su Qing curled her lips. Her naming ability was naturally excellent.
While she hadn't been particularly good at such things in the past, after so many years, she had made at least some progress.
The Old Mother of Mount Li offered a light chuckle, then nodded and said, "Alright, you brat, we're leaving."
At the Old Mother's urging, the little Daoist boy followed her out, looking somewhat dissatisfied.
After the two left, Taishang Laojun also felt there was no need for him to stay.
Remaining here would make him feel like a glaring third wheel. It was better to let the couple have their own intimate time.
Thus, he also proposed his intention to depart.
Su Qing did not try to make him stay, only asking Taishang Laojun to come for the child's full-month banquet when he had the time.
Taishang Laojun did not refuse and agreed to the invitation.
He actually had quite a bit of free time.
After all, Taishang Laojun was simultaneously the busiest and the most idle of beings.
He was busy because he had a mountain of work, with many affairs of the Heavenly Court requiring his assistance. He was idle because he possessed many incarnations, allowing him to delegate much of his work to his clones.
Therefore, his state of being busy or not existed in a sort of quantum superposition. It was hard to say whether he was truly occupied or at leisure.
Laojun left as well.
Su Qing was left alone in the living room.
The newly born little girl and Bai Suzhen were both still fast asleep.
With nothing to do, Su Qing stood up and walked into the courtyard.
A gentle breeze brushed against her face, clearing her head slightly.
Laojun and the others could leave, but she certainly couldn't.
Bai Suzhen had just given birth; she had to stay and accompany her for a while no matter what.
A newborn was a lot of trouble, and Bai Suzhen wouldn't be able to handle it alone. Furthermore, the birth had severely drained her vitality, so she couldn't be left here by herself.
Fortunately, Su Qing had already made proper arrangements at her domain in the Northern Continent.
When she arrived, she already knew Bai Suzhen was about to give birth, so she had prepared to stay here for a period of time. Naturally, she had settled everything that needed settling beforehand to avoid having to run back and forth.
Even though her cloud-soaring speed was very fast, traveling back and forth was still exhausting. It was best to avoid it if possible.
Su Qing was also quite at ease leaving the domain in Liu Xixi's care. After all, it wasn't the first time Liu Xixi had done such a thing, and Su Qing trusted her implicitly.
As for how long she would stay here, Su Qing didn't have a precise plan. Her intention was to wait until it felt right, then take Bai Suzhen back to the Northern Continent.
However, Su Qing estimated it wouldn't exceed half a month.
After all, this wasn't the place to hold the full-month banquet.
Su Qing stretched, then with a wave of her hand, she released an elixir furnace.
She planned to refine some pills for Bai Suzhen—and kill some of the current boring time in the process.
Time flowed away like water.
In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.
During these ten days, the little one was no longer wrinkled and had begun to show the cuteness a child should have.
Under Su Qing's care, Bai Suzhen had also recovered significantly, and her complexion looked much better.
Seeing that Bai Suzhen's health had improved, Su Qing naturally had to put the other matter on the agenda: it was time to return to the Northern Continent.
Of course, it wasn't just Su Qing going back; Bai Suzhen had to go with her.
However, before leaving, she naturally had to inform the Old Mother of Mount Li. If she left without a word, the Old Mother would likely charge all the way to the Northern Continent just to give her a piece of her mind.
So, before deciding to leave, Su Qing went to the side hall of the Old Mother's Hall.
"You've come? It seems you're planning to leave!" The Old Mother of Mount Li saw Su Qing arrive and guessed her purpose without her having to say a word.
Su Qing didn't feel embarrassed upon hearing this. She nodded slightly and said, "Yes. Xiao Bai has recovered quite a bit, so it's time to go. Besides, it won't be convenient to hold the full-month banquet here."
"There's nothing inconvenient about it. The Old Mother's Hall is small, but my Celestial Abode has plenty of space." The Old Mother shook her head slightly, then continued before Su Qing could speak, "However, if you want to leave, I won't stop you. But Suzhen's body hasn't fully recovered yet. Once you take her to the Northern Continent, you must treat her well and not rush her to go out."
The Old Mother of Mount Li was exceptionally concerned about her disciple. Even though she knew her disciple was an Earthly Immortal powerhouse, she still couldn't help but treat her as if she were as fragile as a mortal.
Su Qing knew how much the Old Mother doted on Bai Suzhen and understood her concern. So, when the Old Mother spoke of these things, Su Qing obediently accepted them all.
"Rest assured, Old Mother. I certainly won't take Xiao Bai running around all over the place before she fully recovers. You worry for Xiao Bai, and so do I. She is your disciple, but she is also my wife. Our love for her may be different, but our concern is the same."
Seeing this, the Old Mother of Mount Li didn't make things difficult for Su Qing. She had known this child for many years and understood her character perfectly.
She simply nodded and asked, "Since you know, I won't say more. When do you plan to take her away?"
"We'll leave in a moment," Su Qing replied after a moment of silence.
She wasn't exactly impatient, but she didn't like changing plans once they were made. Her original intention was to leave with Xiao Bai right after speaking with the Old Mother. Naturally, she would head out as soon as she got back.
The Old Mother of Mount Li touched her chin and nodded. "You certainly are in a hurry. But fine, go if you must. Just remember to pack everything properly."
"I understand," Su Qing replied obediently.
Seeing this, the Old Mother didn't intend to say anything more. She just waved her hand and said, "Alright, I have nothing left to say. Since you're leaving, then go quickly."
Su Qing didn't say anything, only nodded and gave a respectful bow to the Old Mother before turning to leave.
After leaving, Su Qing slowly made her way back to Bai Suzhen's small courtyard.
In the courtyard, Bai Suzhen was holding Su Tingtong and nursing her. Her eyes were filled with tenderness as she looked at the child in her arms.
Su Qing didn't make a sound, only slowly approached her.
As Su Qing drew near, Bai Suzhen snapped out of her trance. She looked up at Su Qing, gave a soft smile, and asked, "What did Master say?"
Since giving birth, Bai Suzhen had become much gentler than before, and she also seemed more sophisticated.
However, Su Qing would bet that as soon as she put the child down, she would revert to her original self in the shortest time possible. A personality might change or be feigned, but one's true nature was hard to alter. Su Qing knew her all too well.
Su Qing smiled and nodded. "She agreed. We can set off once we've packed up."
Hearing this, Bai Suzhen smiled sincerely and said, "Then I'll go pack after I finish nursing."
"No need. You keep nursing; I'll pack for you," Su Qing said, shaking her head.
Bai Suzhen naturally had no objection and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Big Sister."
"Mm!" Su Qing nodded lightly, then turned to start packing.
On the other side, after Su Qing left, the Old Mother of Mount Li vanished like a wisp of smoke.
It was as if she had never been there at all. In truth, that was essentially the case, for the one here was merely an incense incarnation of the Old Mother.
The Old Mother's true body was currently beneath the Jianmu Tree, drinking tea with someone.
"That girl is about to leave with Su Qing as well." The Old Mother of Mount Li let out a long breath and set down her teacup, speaking to the person opposite her.
The person sitting across from her was none other than the Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity, who had previously said he was going to the Thirty-Sixth Heaven.
By now, the Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity had successfully returned from the Thirty-Sixth Heaven and had brought back the items needed for the Jianmu Tree.
However, he had only been back for a short while and had just finished recovering from his injuries. Only now did he have the chance to drink tea and chat.
The Thirty-Sixth Heaven was exceptionally dangerous. Even with his thorough preparations, he had nearly lost his life there—he had even nearly drawn the gaze of Heaven.
If it hadn't been for a bit of a fortuitous encounter there, he might have truly perished.
At this moment, hearing the Old Mother's words, he looked slightly confused and asked, "That girl? Which girl?"
"My disciple," the Old Mother said with a smile. "Bai Suzhen."
"Oh? That girl!" The Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity nodded. "It seems she has successfully broken her Fate. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't have let her leave, would you?"
"Yes, it has been successfully broken."
The Old Mother seemed to be in a good mood as she said, "Still, I really am a bit reluctant to see her go."
"You're reluctant to let any of your disciples go. When it comes to being protective of your own, you're no different from the Three Pure Ones. Even though you know the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth... forget it, let's not speak of such things."
Though the Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity was serious, he didn't pull any punches when teasing the Old Mother.
The Old Mother chuckled, not minding what the Emperor left unsaid, as she knew exactly what he was getting at. She simply replied, "They are my disciples; of course I have to protect them. After all, disciples with good talent are hard to come by."
"All of you are the same. If it were me, I certainly wouldn't be like you all."
The Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity shook his head and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about that! Let's continue with our previous topic. This Jianmu Tree..."
Two had been discussing other matters, but as they talked, the Old Mother had suddenly diverted her attention elsewhere.
Seeing this, he hadn't interrupted, only planning to continue the conversation after she had finished her other business. After all, among powerful immortals, such things were quite common.
Who would have thought that when she returned to her senses, the topic would drift off course?
"Ahem, quite so." The Old Mother felt a bit embarrassed. She cleared her throat and said, "You don't need to worry too much about the Jianmu Tree anymore. According to calculations, there is an eighty percent probability that the Jianmu Tree will reach full growth before the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth arrives. Moreover, even if luck is poor and it doesn't fully mature, the Jianmu Tree's power should be enough to protect half of the immortals. However, as for the cultivators and demons in the mortal world, I'm afraid there's nothing to be done. Even if it fully matures, it won't be able to protect them."
The Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity nodded slightly. "That is already quite good. We should save as many seeds of hope as we can. As for the mortal cultivators and demons... the Heavenly Court can barely look after itself; how could it possibly manage their survival? As long as they don't cause any major trouble, we'll just leave them to their own devices."
The Emperor was not a bleeding-heart person. He had fought his way to his current position.
Deciding to sacrifice one half to save the other was not a difficult choice for him. Besides, there was an eighty percent chance of saving everyone within the plan.
As for the mortal cultivators and demons, he wouldn't even consider them. From the beginning, he had never entertained the possibility of saving everything. That was too difficult, no different from going head-to-head with Heaven itself—an impossible feat.
"Mm, my thoughts are the same as yours." The Old Mother nodded. She only cared about her disciple; everything else was of little consequence. But she suddenly thought of something else and asked, "By the way, on this trip to the Thirty-Sixth Heaven, did you have any other harvests besides those related to the Jianmu Tree?"
The Thirty-Sixth Heaven was incredibly mysterious. Though fraught with danger, it also held many opportunities. Thus, she was curious if the Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity had gained anything else this time.
Hearing this, the Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity fell silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "This trip did yield some unique harvests and encounters. However, I'm not quite sure where to begin."
The Old Mother's eyebrows shot up, making her even more curious about what he had found.
"Not sure where to begin? It's fine, take your time," she said with a chuckle. "I have some time now and can listen slowly—as long as you don't recount every single day of your year in the Thirty-Sixth Heaven."
"Very well, in that case, I'll start from the most important point." The Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity touched his chin and nodded. "In the Thirty-Sixth Heaven... I encountered someone."
"Hmm?"
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