I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

Lilith's tears welled up in her eyes, and she hurriedly tried to wipe them away with her sleeve, but the more she wiped, the more tears streamed down her face. Finally, she gave up, tilted her head back, and smiled as she spoke:

"Welcome back, Master."

Ji Tian stared at her for two seconds, using his divine sense to confirm repeatedly that she was just crying tears of joy and not suffering from any kind of hysteria, before nodding, walking into the room, and sitting down in the chair opposite her.

He didn't offer to explain where he had gone, nor did he ask her why she was crying. He simply sat there with the air of a master, waiting for her to ask him questions.

Lilith sniffed, put away the token and gold coins, and then took out the branch that had accompanied her all day yesterday, which had broken and re-entangled repeatedly, from the bedside table. She twirled it in her hand twice.

"Master, your skin has become fairer, and your eyes have become brighter."

"This is the inevitable result of breaking through to a higher realm. In the future, when you break through and transcend tribulations, you will look younger and younger, and become more and more perfect."

Cultivation is about cultivating one's destiny. The process of constantly surpassing oneself naturally leads to a more perfect form. That's why Ji Tian becomes more handsome every time he deliberately attracts lightning.

"They've become more talkative, not just saying 'uh-huh,' 'yes,' and 'okay' like before... In short, they've become more humane."

Ji Tian glanced at her, neither denying nor admitting it.

He looked down at his hands as if they were a new, unfamiliar gift.

Turning his palm over, he could vaguely see golden light flowing beneath the new skin. His body was lighter than before the tribulation, as if he had shed a layer of shell.

"Probably," he murmured, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

He was actually feeling this change as well.

Before his tribulation, his heart was like a frozen lake—flat and hard, reflecting everything, yet untouched by the temperature beneath the surface.

Now, the ice has cracked, and warm water vapor is seeping out from the cracks.

He even started to care how long Lilith had waited and the glistening tears in her eyes.

This would have been absolutely impossible in the past.

When he created the nascent soul, he imprinted his appearance as a child from his previous life and childhood memories that he had deliberately forgotten onto it, hoping to confront his true self through this.

"But now, could it be that the Nascent Soul has given me humanity? Is this newborn little thing teaching me how to be a human?"

Reversing the Heavenly Gang!

He looked inward at the semi-transparent, childlike figure in his Purple Mansion. The figure was expressionless, yet seemed to be looking at him with some displeasure, as if to say, "Who are you calling a little thing?"

But upon closer reflection, it makes sense.

The most crucial thing in the Core Formation stage is to strengthen one's resolve, eliminate all distractions, pursue "unobstructed thoughts," and transform attachments and entanglements into the driving force for cultivation.

When he was forming his nascent soul, he deliberately created a tribulation of inner demons, which was the ultimate test of his inner obsessions, emotional entanglements, and foundation of Dao. He had to face everything and give a firm answer in order to overcome it.

Only in this way can one establish a solid foundation of Daoist heart, no longer need to suppress emotions, and face the seven emotions and six desires more openly, transforming them into nourishment for comprehending the Dao and nurturing the nascent soul, that is, "enlightenment of mind and nature, true feelings do not violate the Dao".

In many online novels, the Nascent Soul Old Monster appears to have a distinct personality and acts impulsively, which is probably why.

"Master, may I hit you? Just once."

Lilith's courageous voice came from beside him, and Ji Tian's mind returned to normal. He asked in confusion:

"It's good that you dare to draw your sword against a stronger opponent when your own life is not in danger. But why attack your own master?"

Lilith didn't answer, but just looked at him with teary eyes.

Ugh, what a hassle...

Ji Tian slowly stood up, dispelling the [Tai Xu Reversal Divine Technique] which automatically countered attacks when injured, and said with a hint of helplessness:

"...Okay, I agree."

Lilith gripped the broken branch tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She raised her weapon high, and seeing that her master had no intention of dodging, she held it in mid-air for a long time before gently lowering it.

She finally couldn't hold back her tears, and they fell to the floor one after another.

"Master..."

The voice was very soft, as if the speaker was suppressing their emotions.

"Do you know... when I woke up I saw the money bag and the token... I thought you were gone... that you didn't want me anymore..."

She sobbed, her voice broken and intermittent, like pieces of paper scattered by the wind.

"I thought... you were like Father... leaving me behind... and then never coming back..."

Ji Tian's lips moved slightly, but he didn't say anything.

He recalled the past—he stood on the mountaintop, watching bolts of lightning strike down one after another, thinking, "If I die, at least I'll leave a way out for my disciples."

He thought he had made thorough arrangements.

But he didn't realize that for Lilith, being "left behind" was the deepest wound.

She was afraid of being left behind again.

Lilith lowered her head, her long, silvery-white hair falling down to cover her face, her shoulders trembling like a stray cat drenched in rain.

"I wanted to hit you... Why didn't you take me with you... Why did you go on an adventure alone... Why did you come back and pretend nothing happened..."

She gripped the branch tightly in her hand.

"But I can't keep fighting... You're the only one... who won't abandon me... I'm afraid I'll drive you away..."

The branch slipped from her hand and fell to the ground with a dull thud.

She stood there, her hands hanging at her sides, clenching into fists, then opening them, then clenching them again.

It's like they don't know what to do with themselves.

Ji Tian looked at her.

He recalled that before the tribulation, when he placed the money bag and token by her bedside, she was dreaming, a slight smile on her lips.

He didn't know she would cry when she woke up.

He thought that "leaving a way out" was the best way to protect her.

He was wrong.

He took a step forward.

Reach out and gently stroke the top of her head.

This tactic almost always worked when comforting his eldest disciple, so he must have a knack for comforting others as well.

But Lilith's reaction far exceeded his expectations.

She buried her face in his chest, clutching his robes tightly with both hands, and began to wail uncontrollably.

It was as if she had poured out all the grievances, fears, and loneliness she had felt while fleeing.

"Waaah... Master... You scared me to death... Can you please not do this again... At least tell me... I don't want to be alone anymore..."

Ji Tian's body stiffened for a moment.

My hand, which I had intended to push away, froze in mid-air, unsure of what to say.

The Nascent Soul sat upright in the Purple Mansion, watching this scene with an expressionless face, but his eyes held a hint of watching a show.

Finally, he whispered in response, "I promise you."

Lilith cried even harder, her tears and snot smearing his chest, instantly crumpling his newly changed white clothes into a mess.

Ji Tian looked down at his clean robes, which he had just changed into not long ago, and then at the silver-haired head in his arms, who was crying uncontrollably.

"Don't cry, you just changed your clothes."

Lilith cried even louder.

"...If you keep crying, there won't be any more cakes."

"Waaah... Master, you're such a bad person..."