Ye Ling raised her hand and gently hugged her mother back, her tone warm.
“I only got back in the middle of the night. You and Father had already gone to sleep, so I didn't want to disturb you. I planned to give you a surprise this morning.”
By now, Ye Qingxuan had also calmed his emotions and quickly stepped forward.
He patted Ye Ling's shoulder gently, his eyes filled with relief and affection.
“You sly child, you certainly know how to keep a secret.”
“How did you suddenly find the time to come home from the sect?”
“The sect has a rule that True Disciples must complete one sect mission every year,” Ye Ling explained slowly. “This time, I took on a mission to hunt down a wanted criminal. After successfully resolving it, I stopped by on my way back to visit you.”
As she finished speaking, Wu Wanmei stepped back slightly and carefully examined her daughter.
The more she looked, the more astonished she became, and she couldn't help but murmur softly.
“Wait, Ling'er, how are you so completely different from a year ago?”
She instinctively raised her hand to measure Ye Ling's height, her eyes filled with wonder.
Previously, Ye Ling still had the petite stature of a young girl, but now she had grown significantly taller, standing at around 1.75 meters.
Her posture was upright and well-proportioned, her frame more slender and elegant, having shed the frail look of her adolescence.
Not only her height and build, but her skin had also become increasingly delicate and translucent, white as snow, without a single blemish.
Her facial features had fully matured into a delicate and refined beauty, her appearance far more striking than in the past.
A year ago, there was still a trace of youthful innocence in her eyes.
But standing here now, her gaze was cool and ethereal, her temperament calm and serene, all hints of youthfulness completely gone.
She had fully grown into a breathtakingly beautiful young woman, elegant and noble, her poise beginning to blossom.
The more Wu Wanmei looked, the more delighted she became, though she was still filled with confusion.
“Your build, appearance, and temperament have all changed so much. It's as if you've undergone a complete metamorphosis.”
Hearing this, Ye Ling smiled faintly and explained patiently.
“Mother, I have already broken through to the Xiantian Realm.”
“When breaking through to the Xiantian Realm, one undergoes a cleansing of marrow and channels to reshape the physical body.”
“Naturally, my stature, appearance, skin, and temperament transformed along with it.”
Standing to the side, Ye Qingxuan was overjoyed and confirmed once more.
“You've broken through to the Xiantian Realm?”
Ye Ling nodded gently. “Yes, I am already at the mid-stage Xiantian Realm.”
The couple was both shocked and overjoyed.
Then, Ye Ling recounted her experiences during this training journey.
From tracking down the criminal Lin Jie, to the fierce battle in the dead of night, and using her enemy to hone her combat skills.
She told her parents everything, right up to her final strike that slew the rogue cultivator expert at the Xiantian Realm Great Perfection.
Upon hearing the words “Xiantian Realm Great Perfection criminal,” Wu Wanmei's heart suddenly tightened. She hurriedly grabbed Ye Ling's hands and looked her over repeatedly, her face filled with worry.
“A criminal at the Xiantian Realm Great Perfection? Ling'er, were you hurt? Do you feel unwell anywhere?”
Compared to his wife's worry, Ye Qingxuan's focus was entirely different.
Hearing that his daughter had not only successfully broken through to the Xiantian Realm but had also fought across realms to slay a rogue cultivator expert at the Xiantian Realm Great Perfection with only her mid-stage Xiantian Realm cultivation, a massive surge of pride instantly welled up in his chest. He nodded repeatedly in admiration.
“Good! Excellent! As expected of my daughter, to be able to defeat an enemy of a higher realm!”
Seeing her parents' contrasting reactions of worry and joy, Ye Ling went on to share the spoils of her victory over Lin Jie.
Five thousand six hundred low-grade spirit stones and a ten-cubic-meter storage bag.
There were also a Profound-grade low-tier cultivation method, a matching Profound-grade low-tier saber technique, and several Yellow-grade high-tier and Yellow-grade peak-tier martial arts.
She made a special point to mention the rare Yellow-grade high-tier cultivation method, expressing her plan to donate all of them to the family's Martial Arts Pavilion for the clan's younger generation to practice free of charge.
Upon hearing about this harvest, immense joy instantly blossomed on the faces of Ye Qingxuan and Wu Wanmei.
An ordinary family's treasured cultivation methods were usually only Yellow-grade mid-tier, while Yellow-grade high-tier cultivation methods were extremely rare and precious in the entire Heishui Commandery.
For the Ye family, which had a weak foundation, this was practically a godsend, enough to elevate the family's overall strength to a whole new level.
The couple quietly watched their calm, gentle, and family-oriented daughter, their hearts filled with warmth and joy.
They could clearly sense that Ye Ling's temperament was much more serene and gentle than before.
She was much more willing to be close to her parents and share her thoughts, far more affectionate than her previous distant and introverted self.
The two of them secretly speculated with relief that Ling'er must be living a stable and smooth life at the Qinglan Sword Sect, and that her cultivation was going well.
Perhaps she had also met good mentors and friends, which broadened her mind and slowly melted away her former coldness and reticence, making her character increasingly warm and understanding.
Seeing their daughter become more outstanding and cheerful, the couple felt nothing but deep comfort and pride.
Looking at her parents whose eyes were filled with relief, Ye Ling said no more.
She raised her hand and retrieved all the cultivation methods and manuals confiscated from Lin Jie, arranging them neatly on the desk.
Then, she took out the ten-cubic-meter storage bag and handed everything to them.
“Father, Mother, please take these cultivation methods and this item.”
“I have high-grade storage tools bestowed upon me by the sect, so I no longer have any use for this one.”
With that, she remembered the storage bag she had obtained in the Baiyun Mountain Range.
She retrieved another small, one-cubic-meter storage bag and placed it on the table as well.
“There's also a smaller one here. Since both storage bags are useless to me, you two can split them.”
“The larger one is ten cubic meters and has plenty of space.”
“The smaller one is only one cubic meter. It's light and compact, perfect for carrying around daily.”
Ye Qingxuan was the first to reach out, picking up the small, one-cubic-meter storage bag.
Beside him, Wu Wanmei had also reached out to take the smaller one, but she saw her husband beat her to it.
Looking up, she met Ye Qingxuan's smiling face as he gave her a subtle wink.
Amused, she simply stopped competing and naturally took the larger, ten-cubic-meter storage bag instead.
Once her parents had put away the two storage bags, Ye Ling's gaze fell back onto the martial arts manuals on the table, and she instructed them seriously.
“Please hand over these cultivation methods and martial arts to the clan's Martial Arts Pavilion on my behalf.”
“It's not convenient for me to show my face. In the future, I will spend most of my time cultivating diligently at the sect, or going out to execute missions and travel for experience. I won't be in the Ye family for years on end.”
“If the two of you present the donation, it will not only benefit the clan but also steadily raise your prestige within the family. It kills two birds with one stone.”
Hearing this, Ye Qingxuan quickly waved his hands. “Your father has never cared about prestige within the clan.”
“Earlier, the clan elders had discussed passing the position of family head to me, but I declined their offer long ago.”
“I know very well that once I take over as family head, I will be bogged down by trivial clan affairs and restricted at every turn.”
“Furthermore, doing so would only deepen your connection with the Ye family, which might hinder your cultivation prospects.”
“That would be far too counterproductive. You only need to focus on advancing your martial path with peace of mind; there's no need to worry about mundane family matters.”
Wu Wanmei also nodded in agreement. “Your father is right. The clan elders and we will keep an eye on family matters.”
“You just focus on cultivating well and carving out your own great Dao.”
Ye Ling understood. She had always known her parents had indifferent temperaments and disliked power struggles, so she did not press the matter further.
“Very well. In any case, my personality has always been quiet and reticent, and I'm not good at socializing or navigating relationships.”
“Indeed, it's not suitable for you to handle family matters. It is best for your father and mother to manage them on your behalf.”
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