Invincible Dad-Chapter 507

Chapter 507: 507
As Ruan Lan silently cursed Xu Lai for his inhumanity, the Gilded Palanquin he was in attracted little attention on Earth, aside from that of the Heavenly Dao.
A three-year-old boy took a skewer of candied haws from the red pouch on his belly, bit into one, and blissfully squinted his eyes. He watched the palanquin slowly leave the Solar System, then the Milky Way, until it finally disappeared from sight.
The Heavenly Dao inexplicably let out a sigh of relief.
The Supreme Emperor has finally left Earth for now. That heavy stone weighing on my heart is finally gone.
Its gaze turned toward Mount Haitang. Haitang Court, now devoid of the Dragon Vein and Dragon Spirit, was left with only a plump creature lying in the backyard basking in the moonlight, looking utterly harmless. The estate was now almost completely defenseless; any cultivator of a sufficiently high boundary could come and go as they pleased.
But the Heavenly Dao had already decided to watch over Haitang Court during Xu Lai’s absence. Otherwise, who knew if the Supreme Emperor wouldn’t use that as an excuse to finish it off? The Heavenly Dao was confident it had concealed nothing regarding the matter of Jing Ke, but as for other things... it was hiding quite a few secrets. It absolutely could not give the Supreme Emperor any excuse or reason to deal with it!
...
In the Vast Universe, a Gilded Palanquin borne by a black Divine Dragon sped toward the distant Eastern Immortal Domain. It moved so fast that even a peak Celestial Venerable Realm expert would be left staring at its dust.
Yet even so, the journey would take over a dozen hours. The Eastern Desolate Domain was simply too far from Earth. Even a Quasi-Emperor would need a couple of hours to make the flight; only those in the Emperor Realm could cross this immense distance in a mere ten minutes. But Xu Lai was bringing his wife home, so he couldn’t be so hasty. Life needed a sense of ceremony.
Xu Lai called out to Huang Fu, inviting him to sit on the dragon’s head. But the stubborn Huang Fu refused. He was now carrying the "Xu" banner and would only stand a half-step behind Xu Lai.
The great "Xu" banner fluttered.
Xu Lai’s thoughts drifted with the banner, and he couldn’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia for the storied, glorious past. He no longer insisted that Huang Fu sit down.
Instead, he mused aloud, "Huang Fu, tell me, of all the many Emperors throughout history, how many have left a name that will last forever in the river of time?"
Huang Fu was silent, unsure how to answer. The Immortal Domain only had one hundred epochs of traceable and widely recognized history. The ages before that seemed to have been abruptly severed from the records, with only scant traces found in exceedingly ancient texts. Most of these one hundred Emperor Realm powerhouses had left behind resounding reputations in the river of time. But of the undying Emperor Artifacts that had accompanied them through a lifetime of battles, barely more than twenty remained. Perhaps not even that many.
An Emperor’s life was a vast landscape through which countless travelers passed. Some added color to the stars, some eclipsed the sun and moon, some sundered eternity, some became demonic through slaughter, and others remained unknown. But without a doubt, they were all solitary. With a million-year lifespan, the starry sky around them began to feel increasingly alien from the age of two hundred thousand. For the rest of their lives, the world would change completely—new generations replacing the old—while they alone stood eternally at the peak.
From the perspective of those who came later, Great Emperors were invincible in their time, endlessly glorious, the strongest of their era. But few could comprehend the powerlessness of outliving not only friends and family, but even one’s enemies. And surely no one could guess that an Emperor would spend so much time pondering the true meaning of a lifetime of cultivation just to stand at the ultimate peak.
Why is he talking about the Emperor Realm?
Huang Fu’s thoughts were in disarray. He glanced at the Gilded Palanquin behind him.
Don’t tell me... he’s thinking of passing away again?
Bracing himself, he asked, "Supreme Emperor, you couldn’t be... thinking of entering meditative death again, could you?"
"Huang Fu, your perspective is too narrow," Xu Lai said sternly, lecturing him. "One must not run from life; that is the mark of a coward. I, Xu Lai, despise such people more than anyone!
"We cultivators must stand tall and proud for our entire lives. We can die at the hands of our enemies, or we can perish in the long river of time. But to choose to fade away on one’s own—how is that different from being a deserter!"
"..."
"Huang Fu, why aren’t you speaking?"
"...Your lesson is well-received, Supreme Emperor."
"Haha." Xu Lai laughed twice. Gazing at the brilliant stars, he murmured, "It’s good to be alive."
Huang Fu was stunned. Then, his eyes reddened and his nose stung.
So that’s what this was all about. After all that, the Supreme Emperor is still trying to convince me to keep living, not just let my lifespan wither away.
Clutching the flagpole, Huang Fu straightened his back even more. "To carry the banner for you one last time before I die... I will have no regrets in this life!"
Xu Lai let out a long sigh and said no more.
According to Earth’s time, a full twelve hours passed before they reached their destination: the Eastern Desolate Domain. The desolate mountains three hundred miles outside of Qiuyue City were already visible in the distance.
Xu Lai tapped the palanquin. "We’re almost there," he said softly.
SWISH!
The one who threw open the curtain was not Ruan Tang, nor was it Xu Yiyi. It was his sister-in-law, Ruan Lan. She glared indignantly at Xu Lai. "You scoundrel, Xu Lai! You actually immobilized me and then did something even a beast wouldn’t do!"
Ruan Lan was furious.
Fried Starfish...
She had craved it so much she hadn’t slept all night. The moment she felt the seal on her weaken and disappear, she had rushed out of her room to find Xu Lai.
Huang Fu stiffened, pretending not to hear as he stared straight ahead. A shiver ran down Dragon Spirit Xiao Hai’s spine, and he desperately wished he could flee.
This is too mortifying!
Xu Lai’s face darkened. "Keep spouting nonsense and I’ll throw you out."
Frightened, Ruan Lan ducked back inside the palanquin, her indignant voice still audible. "Where are the Starfish? Don’t tell me you didn’t save any for me."
"Glutton. There were thirteen. I saved them all for you!"
"Hehe, I knew my brother-in-law was the best man in the world, bar none," she declared, her mood instantly changing. "Don’t you worry, brother-in-law," she promised, patting her chest. "I’ll make sure your wife looks absolutely beautiful in a little bit."
Xu Lai rubbed his forehead. It was a good thing Ruan Lan was born on Earth. With that unrestrained personality of hers, she would have probably been beaten to death tens of thousands of times by now if she’d grown up in the Immortal Domain.
MOO—
Just then, the roar of a strange beast echoed through the heavens. In the distance, a Nine-Horned Azure Ox strode through the sky on auspicious clouds. Its massive body was like a dark mountain, and it emitted a terrifying pressure that made all living creatures along its path tremble in fear. Atop the ox sat a lavish, enormous palace, from which the faint sound of stringed instruments drifted. The gauzy curtains of the palace fluttered in the wind, offering brief glimpses of graceful figures dancing elegantly within.
Seeing the Nine-Horned Azure Ox barreling recklessly toward them, Huang Fu’s killing intent surged. "Supreme Emperor, allow me to clear the way!"
"Forget it." Xu Lai frowned. "Let’s just move aside."
Today, he was bringing his wife and daughter back to the Sect Gate; he didn’t wish for any unpleasantness.
Huang Fu abandoned his plan to attack and guided Xiao Hai toward the mountain range where the Old Heavenly Court was located. But unexpectedly, just as the Black Dragon moved aside to make way, the Nine-Horned Azure Ox suddenly changed its trajectory and charged straight for them without slowing down