Brother, Are You Really an Immortal?!

"Isn't it unbelievable? Feels like something straight out of the Arabian Nights, right? But in truth, it's real!"

Ning Wangshu smiled bitterly.

Then, he took a deep breath and slowly said, "I don't really know the specifics either."

"Over three months ago—oh, that's Earth time—I inexplicably crossed over to another world, just like in those web novels."

"It was a world of immortal cultivation, filled with powerful cultivators and all kinds of Demons and monsters. For mortals there, saying 'human life is cheaper than a dog' is an understatement."

"At any moment, if you weren't careful, you could be caught in the aftermath of a battle between cultivators or Demons and monsters, and you'd be dead before you even had time to react."

Saying this, Ning Wangshu chuckled and paused for breath. "I got lucky. My aptitude for cultivation was decent, so a cultivator took me in as a disciple."

"Back then, all I wanted was to return to Earth. I thought that if I gained enough power, I might find a way back."

"But I spent over nine thousand years in that world and never succeeded. Eventually, I gave up and focused solely on seeking the Dao and becoming an immortal."

"In the end, I successfully passed the Heavenly Tribulation, opened the Immortal Gate, and ascended..."

"Only, after I ascended, I realized I hadn't gone to the Immortal Realm at all—I was back on Earth! Do you know how conflicted I felt?"

"But soon, I noticed that not much time had passed on Earth. The thought that you and Mom were still alive filled me with overwhelming excitement. I rushed home joyfully, looking for you, hoping to reunite..."

"But when I got home, I found other people living there. They told me the house had been sold to them over two months ago."

"Then I ran into our homeroom teacher, who told me you were renting a place nearby, so I hurried over..."

"As for what happened next, you basically know. I went to find that Xu Yiming in the afternoon and planted a Curse Seal inside him. It'll activate in three days, and when it does, he's dead for sure!"

"But I didn't expect him to have a cultivator nearby. Just now, I sensed that the Curse Seal I planted was being attacked by an external force."

"So I cast a spell from a distance to teach that cultivator who dared to mess with my seal a lesson!"

After finishing, Ning Wangshu looked at his younger sister again.

By now, Ning Ruoxuan was stunned speechless by his story.

Her mouth hung open, her throat dry, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.

Because to her, this was utterly mind-boggling, too bizarre for words!

It completely defied her understanding of common sense!

Yet, the sight of Ning Wangshu casting that spell just now left her no choice but to believe...

Ning Ruoxuan took a deep breath, struggling to calm the turmoil inside her. After a long pause, she finally swallowed hard and said softly, "So... are you really an immortal now?"

Ning Wangshu smiled bitterly, nodding and shaking his head at the same time. "Yes and no!"

"To be precise, I haven't truly become an immortal. I did ascend, but since I didn't reach the Immortal Realm, my body and soul weren't bathed in immortal energy, so I haven't transformed into an Immortal Body or Immortal Soul."

"Moreover, my cultivation level is still intact—I'm at the peak of the highest stage for cultivators, the Mahayana Stage."

"But for some reason, after I ascended to Earth, my soul and spiritual power were shackled and suppressed. Right now, I can only use a tiny fraction of my strength!"

"So, while I've ascended and still have my cultivation, I can't really be called a true immortal yet..."

Hearing Ning Wangshu's explanation, Ning Ruoxuan was only half-understanding.

She didn't even know if what he said was true or false...

In any case, her emotions were a tangled mess.

She still held a grudge against Ning Wangshu, but if everything he said was real... then she couldn't really blame him.

Though Ning Wangshu hadn't gone into detail about his time in that cultivation world, just that one line—"human life is cheaper than a dog is an understatement"—showed that he must have endured countless hardships and brushes with death alone in that place.

But could she just forgive him like that?

Thinking about everything she'd suffered these past few months—the grievances, the resentment, and their mother's death—Ning Ruoxuan couldn't let go of that barrier in her heart.

She took a deep breath, looked at Ning Wangshu, and said with a complicated expression, "Is... is all that true? Or are you just making up a story to trick me into forgiving you?"

Ning Wangshu knew his sister's heart must be in turmoil, and she probably couldn't accept everything he'd said just yet.

So, with utmost seriousness and solemnity, he said, "If even half of what I've said is a lie, may heaven strike me down with five thunderbolts!"

After a pause, he simply waved his hand.

The next moment, the Wangshu Sword appeared before him, hovering in midair with a soft "Weng" as it trembled lightly.

Seeing this, Ning Ruoxuan froze, her eyes widening in astonishment.

Ning Wangshu spoke, "Ruoxuan, this is my lifebound artifact—the Wangshu Sword! I know what I just said is hard to accept."

"But the only proof I can give you is to show you some cultivator techniques, so you'll know I'm not lying!"

Ning Ruoxuan opened her mouth to speak. She was already eighty percent convinced, but she still lacked a reason to fully persuade herself.

Now, seeing Ning Wangshu summon a sword out of thin air, hovering in midair, combined with his solemn oath, the Shackles in her heart finally shattered with a "bang"...

And as her emotional knot unraveled, Ning Ruoxuan could no longer hold back. Looking at Ning Wangshu before her, her throat bobbed a few times before she finally choked out, "Brother, Brother... I, I believe you!"

Hearing his sister's words, Ning Wangshu's head shot up. He looked at her with excitement, his voice trembling as well, "Ru, Ruoxuan, you... what did you just call me?"

"Older Brother! Older Brother! Sob sob..."

Ning Ruoxuan could no longer restrain her emotions. She threw herself directly into Ning Wangshu's arms, hugging him tightly, and instantly tears gushed like a spring!

It was as if she wanted to pour out all the grievances she had suffered during this time, all the resentment, anger, and sorrow in her heart... everything.

Ning Wangshu's own heart was churning at this moment. He took a deep breath, his eyes slightly reddened as he gently patted his younger sister's back, comforting her.

He murmured softly under his breath, "It's over, Ruoxuan. Everything is over. Now that Older Brother is back, from this day forward, no one will ever be able to bully you again!"

"Cry. No matter how much grievance you hold in your heart, let it all out. From now on, let Older Brother take care of you, protect you. Older Brother also promises that he will never let you suffer the slightest grievance again!"

"No matter who it is, if they dare to bully you or make you suffer, even if it's the Jade Emperor himself, I will make them pay the most painful price!"

Amid Ning Wangshu's comforting words, Ning Ruoxuan's sobbing did not stop; instead, it grew louder. There was truly too much grievance in her heart.

And she had borne too much that someone her age should never have had to bear...

No one knew how long passed, but Ning Ruoxuan seemed to have cried herself out. Before she knew it, she had already fallen asleep.

Yet her hand still tightly clutched Ning Wangshu's clothes, refusing to let go even a little, as if afraid that if she released him, Ning Wangshu would suddenly disappear again...

Seeing this, Ning Wangshu smiled faintly. He did not pry his sister's hand away from his clothes but instead continued to hold her, laying her down on the bed so she could recline against his chest.

Only when she gradually fell into a deep sleep and her grip on his clothes loosened on its own did Ning Wangshu pull himself away.

Then he sat down cross-legged on the floor beside her, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.