Reality

To get first place in the Palace Examination, one must at least be in the "Spirit Origin Realm."

Four years ago, when Lin Xiaoting placed first in the Palace Examination, he was already at the third level of the Spirit Origin Realm. It's estimated that this year's competitors will be at a similar level.

In comparison, four years ago, Li Tianming, who participated in the Palace Examination, was only at the Seventh Level of Beast Vein Realm. He could barely get into Yanhuang Academy, let alone the Heavenly Mansion.

Of course, he has made great progress recently, and he still hopes to make a push in the Palace Examination.

If he can directly enter the Heavenly Mansion, his mother's illness might have a solution.

In that case, those who once treated him as a joke will probably see his return!

At this moment, they arrived at Snow Star Pavilion.

Inside Snow Star Pavilion, a beautiful lady in a golden-yellow long dress stood by the door.

She looked to be around forty years old today, but time had left no trace on her. Looking at her snow-white, delicate skin, it was as if she were a teenage girl.

Her tall, slender figure was exquisite and strong, very well-maintained. Combined with her noble bearing, she exuded charm.

Even if such a woman walked down the street, anyone could tell that her family was absolutely wealthy.

"Jing'er, is that really you!" As their eyes met, the beautiful woman hurried to Wei Jing's side, her eyes already reddening as she spoke.

"Xiao Lan." Twenty years. Meeting again, Wei Jing gently held her hand.

Her own fingers trembled slightly, and her eyes were already red.

"Come in, let's talk inside." Madam Xue Lan pulled her into Snow Star Pavilion and then they sat down.

She looked at Wei Jing with heartache and said, "Has the 'Minor Life Tribulation' on you finally flared up? You're only forty, yet you've aged so much. Jing'er, I didn't expect you to have suffered so much. If I had known, I would have come to Lihuo City to see."

"I'm used to it." Wei Jing smiled faintly. She was still as composed as ever. She gently pulled Li Tianming and said, "Xiao Lan, this is my child, 'Li Tianming.' Tianming, greet Aunt Lan."

"Greetings, Aunt Lan." Li Tianming bowed respectfully. He was genuinely happy that his mother had found an old friend in Yandu.

"Your child is already this big. My Hao'er should be around his age. That's wonderful," Madam Xue Lan said.

Li Tianming stood to the side, listening to their conversation.

"Jing'er, you haven't been back for twenty years. This time you've returned to Yandu..."

"I've broken up with Li Yanfeng and won't be returning to Lihuo City anymore. From now on, I'll be in Yandu. I miss this place, I miss you all," Wei Jing said.

"Sigh, if you hadn't been so willful back then..." Xue Lan sighed.

"Xiao Lan, let's not talk about the past," Wei Jing shook her head.

Madam Xue Lan pursed her lips and said, "Alright, so you've returned this time to go back to the Heavenly Mansion and have the 'Palace Lord' lift the Minor Life Tribulation for you? I doubt it's possible. The Palace Lord expelled you from the Heavenly Mansion back then. With his temper, even after twenty years, he won't forgive you..."

"No, I didn't come back for the Minor Life Tribulation." Wei Jing still didn't want to discuss past events. There seemed to be some friction in their communication, so Wei Jing got straight to the point: "This time, I just want to be in Yandu quietly, spend the last period of time with my child, and see you all. You're all doing so well, I'm very happy for you."

"Is that so..." Madam Xue Lan nodded. "Anyway, I respect your choice."

"Xiao Lan, I have one more request," Wei Jing looked at her seriously.

"Please don't say that. We are sisters. Since you're back, I'll definitely help you to the end," Madam Xue Lan said.

"If possible, give me a place to stay near 'Yanhuang Academy.' It doesn't need to be fancy, just somewhere we can live. My child and I haven't found a place to stay since we returned," Wei Jing said.

"How can I do that? You should stay at the Star Palace. The Star Palace is close to Yanhuang Academy, and I can look after you," Madam Xue Lan said.

"It's not appropriate, it will trouble you too much. I am a dying person, I prefer to be quiet," Wei Jing shook her head.

"Jing'er..." Madam Xue Lan gritted her teeth, her face full of heartache. "Don't worry, I'll arrange it for you right away."

"Thank you, Xiao Lan."

"By the way, you need a place near Yanhuang Academy because your child obtained the 'Yanhuang Token' and wants to pass the Palace Examination, right?" Xue Lan asked.

"Yes."

Madam Xue Lan sized up Li Tianming and asked, "Child, what realm have you cultivated to now?"

"Reporting to Aunt Lan, Seventh Level of Beast Vein Realm."

"That's acceptable, but the competition for Yanhuang Academy this time is particularly fierce. At your level, you'll need to fight hard to pass the Palace Examination and live up to your mother's hopes," Madam Xue Lan advised.

"I will do my best," Li Tianming nodded.

Regardless, she was helping his mother resolve her worries, so he naturally had to be grateful.

However, at this moment, a discordant voice came in--

"Seventh Level of Beast Vein Realm, and from a remote area at that. To think you want to enter Yanhuang Academy steadily... sounds like a dream."

A young man said as he walked in from outside. Several maids immediately came to help him take off his practice clothes and put on a luxurious robe, then brought water for him to wash his face and hands.

"Mom, we have guests today," the young man was Chen Yao, who had just returned from martial arts practice.

"Yes, she's your mother's old friend." Xue Lan looked at her younger son with eyes full of tenderness and affection.

"Friend?" Chen Yao looked up and couldn't help but laugh. "You're really something. You made friends with old ladies when you were young. This person is old enough to be your grandmother."

Although these words were spoken in a joking manner, they were unpleasant, and Li Tianming felt a bit annoyed.

"Yao'er, don't talk nonsense. It's impolite," Madam Xue Lan chided him, though not very sternly.

"I can't be bothered with you." Chen Yao had finished washing up. "Hurry up and send them away. Another one of those poor relatives looking for connections and help. They annoy me just looking at them and it affects my mood for the Palace Examination."

"Alright, I'll do it as quickly as possible, I won't delay your Solid Gold Soup," Madam Xue Lan said to Chen Yao, her face full of gentle affection.

After speaking, she looked at Wei Jing again and chuckled, "Jing'er, I can't help it. This child just won't grow up. I still have to personally make Solid Gold Soup for him. That stuff is expensive and hard to get, it's made my hands wrinkly, look."

As she spoke, she extended her hand and placed it in front of Wei Jing. Her delicate hands were crystal clear, clearly never having done any housework, far better than Wei Jing's hands.

In that instant, Li Tianming saw many things clearly.

He had been grateful to Madam Xue Lan, but now, how could he not understand that this woman had been insincere from the very beginning?

Especially this current action, placing her own radiant fingers in front of Wei Jing and claiming her hands were wrinkled.

Such obvious mockery and stimulation, such unspoken words between women were sharper than swords.

"No, Xiao Lan's hands are still as delicate and beautiful as they were twenty years ago."

Li Tianming had thought Xue Lan's words would leave his mother speechless with sadness.

But he didn't expect her to act as if nothing had happened, smiling as she said this.

After Wei Jing finished speaking, she stood up and said, "Xiao Lan, we've just returned to Yandu and still have many matters to arrange, so we won't bother you any longer."

"Won't you stay a little longer? I'll have the servants prepare a banquet," Madam Xue Lan said reluctantly.

"No," Wei Jing shook her head.

"Alright then, since you're back, we'll have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future. I'll have the servants arrange rooms for you."

"You can stay at Chenyao Inn tonight. Someone will guide you to your accommodations later."

Madam Xue Lan's arrangements sounded very thoughtful.

"Thank you."

"Someone, escort these two 'distinguished guests'."

After Li Tianming and Wei Jing left, Madam Xue Lan, with a smile on her face, stood with Chen Yao, her smile exceptionally bright.

"Why do you seem so pleased?" Chen Yao asked curiously.

"Do I? Please don't say that. My sister has gone through twenty years of hardship, and she still has to face a lonely death. I feel so much pity for her."

Madam Xue Lan spoke with a smile.

"Really? It looks like you're so happy you could dance," Chen Yao pouted.

"Don't talk nonsense, child. But life's encounters, sometimes they're truly wonderful, hehe." She couldn't help but chuckle.

"Boring." Chen Yao thought about Li Tianming's appearance and suddenly said, "Why does that man look a bit familiar? What's his name?"

"Something like Li Tianming? Son of Li Yanfeng from Lihuo City. Back then, a toad eating swan meat." Madam Xue Lan shook her head and smiled.

"Li Tianming? I remember him! Four years ago, he entered Yanhuang Academy. He was the joke of Yanhuang Academy!" Chen Yao also laughed.

"How so?"

Chen Yao then recounted the incident that happened at Yanhuang Academy three years ago, which was still talked about as a laughingstock to this day.

"A woman of misfortune, a lowly child, a perfect match," Madam Xue Lan suddenly wanted a drink. This feeling was too wonderful.

"Companion Beast died, and still at the Seventh Level of Beast Vein Realm? Just casually found a Companion Beast with a Blood God Contract and wanted to enter Yanhuang Academy again? That's looking down on the imperial examinations too much," Chen Yao couldn't help but shake his head.

He couldn't understand why someone who had ruined their reputation would come to embarrass themselves again.

Madam Xue Lan had her fill of laughter. Just as she was about to go and make Solid Gold Soup, a servant reported that "Palace Saint" had returned.

She quickly tidied her appearance and, with the help of her maids, went out to greet him.

This prominent figure of the Vermilion Bird Country looked very young, like a youth, more like Chen Yao's older brother.

Only from his eyes could one see his experience and powerful aura.

As he walked into the Star Palace, the entire Star Palace fell into dead silence. Guards along the way knelt and bowed, as if he were an emperor.

If Chen Yao's eyes held stars, then Palace Saint's eyes held only a sea of stars. The brilliance in his gaze was enough to make the entire Star Palace shine.

After he returned, Madam Xue Lan personally helped him change, then nestled in his arms like a happy little woman.

"Who were those two people who just left? They looked a bit familiar," Palace Saint asked, stroking Madam Xue Lan's long hair.

"You saw her?" Madam Xue Lan pursed her lips.

"Who?"

"The one you couldn't have back then." Madam Xue Lan chuckled coquettishly.

Huo!

Palace Saint stood up abruptly, his gaze deep as he looked at Madam Xue Lan. His expression was solemn and shocked as he asked, "You mean, it was her!"

"Yes, did you see clearly? Old and ugly, makes you want to puke just looking at her. I threw up today, did you?"

Madam Xue Lan looked up, her eyes filled with amusement and mockery as she looked at him.

He did not answer.

"A forty-year-old person, so ugly to this extent, do you still love her?" Madam Xue Lan licked her red lips, smiling enchantingly.

Palace Saint took a deep breath and, without another word, walked out of the room.

"You'd better take a good look at how ugly she is now. If you haven't thrown up enough, don't come back home!"

After he left, Madam Xue Lan's excited voice continued to ring out, growing louder and louder.

There will be an update at 8 PM tonight. Chapter push notifications on the official account will be changed to 8 PM.