My Celestial Ascension

"Finally, we're back! It's so nice to return!" Yuan laughed as he stepped out of the black space, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

In the following seconds, others emerged from the portal one by one, riding their flying swords and glancing down at the crowd with surprised expressions.

"Oh my, what a large group of people to welcome us. Fufu~," Anna giggled, eyeing the crowd that had gathered near the Stone Gate.

"Well, I recognize a few familiar faces," Grace mumbled softly, a cold smile forming on her lips as she glanced at King Richard and his entourage.

"They must've thought some catastrophe was about to happen. Considering their ignorance about cultivation, it makes sense. Our disappearance must have caused quite a stir," Valeria said, quickly piecing together the situation.

Moments later, Fang Xiaoyan appeared from the portal, looking like a goddess. Her long crimson hair danced in the wind, and her rosy lips parted slightly as she curiously surveyed the surroundings.

She was so captivated by the beauty of the landscape that she didn't notice the hundreds of people surrounding them from all directions.

"So this is the outside world, huh? It's beautiful… but the Spiritual Energy here is much thinner than in the Secret Realm…" Fang Xiaoyan murmured, a dazed look in her eyes as she hovered in mid-air, her gaze fixed on the horizon.

"They're flying! They're actually flying!"

"Incredible! Could they be gods? How else could they soar through the sky like that?"

"H-How is it possible for them to fly? They must be divine beings!"

The onlookers were stunned, watching in disbelief as the cultivators floated in mid-air, seemingly standing on invisible platforms like gods descending to the mortal world.

Each of them exuded a powerful aura, one far beyond anything the people had ever encountered. The soldiers, overwhelmed by fear and shock, began to step back, trembling at the sheer pressure radiating from the cultivators.

King Richard, Prince Tristan, and Robert's eyes widened when they saw Fang Xiaoyan emerge from the portal, hovering in the air like a peerless goddess.

'W-Who is that woman? I've never seen her with them before… She's giving me chills just by looking at her. It feels like I'm staring at a beast, not a human!' King Richard wondered, his heart racing.

'H-How incredible! Who is she? She's unbelievably beautiful… like a goddess!' Prince Tristan swallowed nervously. Though he wanted to keep staring at the unknown woman, he forced himself to look away, fearing for his life.

'If I stare any longer, it might be the end of me!' Tristan thought, inwardly panicking.

While Tristan tried to show respect by averting his gaze, Robert wasn't as disciplined. He continued to stare at Fang Xiaoyan with a lustful expression.

Fang Xiaoyan, with her sharp perception, quickly noticed Robert's indecent gaze. A chill ran down her spine as she felt his eyes on her.

'What's with this mortal? Why is he staring at me like that? It's disgusting!' Fang Xiaoyan thought, feeling repulsed.

"You there, mortal… Stop staring at me with that lecherous look on your face. It's revolting!" Fang Xiaoyan snapped, sending a wave of spiritual energy toward Robert.

"You—" Robert started, but before he could finish, an invisible force struck him, sending him flying through the air with a powerful blow.

BANG!

Robert's body collided with a tall wall a few seconds later, the impact so powerful that it broke several of his ribs and fractured one of his legs.

"Ugh!" Robert roared in pain as he crawled on the ground. His eyes were bloodshot, his mouth covered in blood, and his clothes torn.

Everyone around him was in shock. They had no idea what had just happened. No one saw any movement, yet Robert had been blown away by an invisible force they couldn't comprehend.

"W-What just happened…?"

"I didn't see a thing… It happened too fast!"

"Y-Young master… Check if Young Master Robert is still breathing! Quickly!"

"What the hell is going on?!"

A few soldiers rushed over to Robert, terrified of what would happen if he didn't survive—knowing the City Lord would punish them severely. After checking, the soldiers confirmed that Robert was alive and, while badly injured, wasn't in a life-threatening condition. Relieved, they sighed.

"Thank goodness… He's alive. Quick, give him a strong healing potion before the City Lord arrives!"

They hurriedly fed Robert a high-ranking healing potion, which worked quickly, mending his broken bones at an accelerated rate. A few minutes later, Robert was fully healed, but he was barely conscious, his eyes fluttering open.

Once fully awake, Robert looked around in confusion and asked, "Where am I? What just happened? Why was I unconscious?"

The soldiers exchanged awkward glances, unsure how to explain what had just occurred.

Meanwhile, Yuan and his wives gracefully descended to the ground, approaching King Richard and the others with curious looks, wondering why they were all gathered there.

As they touched the ground, Valeria smiled slightly and asked, "King Richard, I'm surprised to see you here. Could you explain what brings you and your family to this place?"

"Lady Valeria, it's a relief to see you safe…" King Richard quickly replied, sighing in relief. "We rushed here as soon as we heard that you, Yuan, and his wives had gone missing."

"Missing? You must be joking. We simply entered to take care of something important," Valeria laughed, amused by the misunderstanding.

"You didn't go missing?" King Richard responded, confused. "But City Lord Roland wrote to us, saying you had disappeared… That's why we came, thinking we needed to rescue you from the strange crack."

A moment of silence passed before Concubine Aurelia stepped forward. "Lady Valeria, please forgive my husband. Can you explain why you went through the strange crack? Do you have any idea how much anxiety you caused us?"

She continued, "We've been living in constant fear that the empire would attack us since you vanished inside our kingdom's borders. You should send a letter to your family immediately before they decide to investigate the situation."

Aurelia explained the chaos that had ensued after they entered the Secret Realm—the empire's frequent inquiries about Valeria's rescue, and the stress it caused the Royal Family.

After hearing the full story, Yuan and his wives were shocked by the chaos their departure had caused and how much pressure the Royal Family had been under.

Valeria gently took Aurelia's hands and smiled. "We're deeply sorry for causing so much worry. We had no idea entering the Secret Realm would create such an uproar."

Aurelia sighed in relief. "It's alright. Now that you're safely back, the empire won't attack or threaten us anymore. Everything should return to normal."

Curious, Aurelia asked, "Anyway, can you tell me what was so important that you went into such a dangerous place?"

Before Valeria could answer, Grace interjected, her expression cold and unreadable. "Unfortunately, that information is confidential."

Valeria, seeing Grace's firm stance, decided to keep the details about the Secret Realm a secret, not revealing anything—even to her own family.

"How about that beautiful woman? Could you tell me who she is? She's emitting a very powerful aura, unlike anything I've ever felt before," Aurelia asked, her eyes fixed on Fang Xiaoyan, who was still hovering in the air, gazing at the horizon with sparkling eyes.

It wasn't just Aurelia who was curious. Everyone was drawn to Fang Xiaoyan—her beauty alone was enough to captivate their attention. But more than that, she radiated an overwhelming, god-like presence, and she floated in the air effortlessly.

"Her name is Fang Xiaoyan. She's one of Yuan's women," Valeria responded casually, but her expression quickly became serious. "However, I must warn you all to be very cautious around her. She's incredibly powerful—so much so that she could flatten the entire kingdom with a mere snap of her fingers. So please, do not offend her."

'What?! Doesn't that mean Robert was courting death by looking at her with that lecherous gaze?! Thank the heavens I didn't do the same!' Prince Tristan thought to himself, inwardly relieved by his restraint.

'A being who could flatten the kingdom in an instant…' King Richard's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Fang Xiaoyan, still hovering in the sky.

"My son! What happened to you?!"

A shout broke through the tension, and everyone turned to see City Lord Roland rushing toward his son, who had just managed to stand.

"Father! It was that woman who attacked me! Make her pay, father!" Robert pointed an accusing finger at Fang Xiaoyan, a malicious grin spreading across his face.

'So what if she can fly? In front of my father and King Richard, she's nothing but prey waiting to be slaughtered,' Robert thought smugly, already imagining the scene of Yuan, his wives, and Fang Xiaoyan begging for mercy.

Seeing this unfold, King Richard sighed and turned to Yuan. "Let me handle this. I don't want anyone to die here. City Lord Roland has been a respected supporter of the Royal Family for generations."

"Fine," Yuan shrugged. "But tell them to stop ogling my women with lecherous thoughts."

"Thank you for sparing their lives, Yuan. Why don't you and your wives come to the tent and rest for a while? I'll take care of this situation," King Richard offered.

"In that case, we won't refuse," Anna smiled, taking Yuan's hand.

"I'll go prepare some delicious tea for us," Aurelia smiled as she excused herself, leaving to make arrangements.

Yuan looked up at the sky and called, "Xiaoyan, come down and join us for some tea. I'll introduce you to a few friends."