"Chen... Chen Mo..." Li Xiaonan swallowed hard, calling out the name.
Twenty steps away, Chen Mo smiled and slowly stepped onto the path cleared by the crowd, walking toward him with steady strides.
Li Xiaonan's mind was still in a daze when Li Dogdan, behind him, dashed forward and hugged Chen Mo, exclaiming, "Mom Yanrong! Huh? No, the scent is wrong!"
Li Dogdan frowned and released Chen Mo, jumping back three steps to return to Li Xiaonan's side. "Old man, who is she?"
Chen Mo was also taken aback, staring blankly at the two in front of her, her footsteps unconsciously halting.
Cunning Li adjusted his glasses and said, "I did some calculations for you. Since your sister left, you should be missing a girl, and Chen Mo is a good choice. After all, you two have known each other since childhood. I've brought her to you; stop being coy and go for it!"
Li Xiaonan instinctively nodded. Although he had many questions swirling in his mind, he held them back.
He took a few steps forward until he stood before Chen Mo, quietly gazing at her familiar face.
Chen Mo squinted and smiled. "This time you didn't mistake me for someone else!"
"I won't make that mistake again. How have you been?" Li Xiaonan's lips twitched slightly, wearing a half-smile.
Chen Mo took a deep breath; her expression suddenly turned cold, with no trace of a smile in her eyes.
She abruptly raised her hand and swung it toward Li Xiaonan.
Seeing that delicate white hand, Li Xiaonan didn't dodge. He only heard a crisp "smack."
Li Xiaonan was stunned. He clearly saw the tears glistening in Chen Mo's eyes; this scene felt overly dramatic.
"You're such a bastard! Why didn't you tell me anything? Am I really that untrustworthy in your eyes?" Chen Mo exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice.
"Hey, hey! Don't be so angry, okay? If you keep frowning like that, your handsome face is going to get ruined!" Scheming teased from the side.
Chen Mo shot him a glare filled with resentment before turning his gaze back to Li Xiaonan.
It seemed that this girl already knew everything and had embarked on the path of cultivation.
Li Xiaonan lowered his eyelids, contemplating, and slowly began to speak, "I'm sorry..."
Before he could finish, someone collided with his chest forcefully, a fragrant scent filling his nostrils.
The woman who had been slapping herself just a moment ago was now in his embrace. Truly, women were so unpredictable!
Li Xiaonan instinctively raised his arms and tightly held the person in his arms.
A subtle joy mixed with an unusual heartbeat continuously stimulated Li Xiaonan, reminding him of one undeniable fact—he had feelings for Chen Mo.
He didn't know when it had started, but he realized he never wanted to let go again.
A smile crept onto his lips as he rested his chin gently on Chen Mo's shoulder and softly said, "This isn't Earth. You might never see your family and friends again, but... would you be willing to stay here for me?"
"You fool, if it weren't for you, why would I even come here?" The voice of the person in his arms was soft, almost like a whisper, yet Li Xiaonan heard it clearly.
He slowly closed his eyes, savoring the warmth of the embrace.
"Xiao Nan, have you ever liked me?"
"Mm..."
"What's the big deal! If I like it, I like it! If I don't, I don't!" Chen Mo frowned, about to push him away, but was pulled tightly into Li Xiaonan's embrace, unable to move.
"I like you, Chen Mo," Li Xiaonan said softly.
Chen Mo relaxed, his eyes shining with joy as he leaned further into Li Xiaonan's arms.
Cunning Li chuckled and shook his head. "You fool, instead of holding on like this, why not hurry up and go to Obedient Dragon II?"
Li Xiaonan released Chen Mo and turned to Scheming. "How could you come over here?"
"Well, obviously I've cultivated to a certain level! Sigh, you have so many girls already, and I don't have even one! Is it really because I'm not good-looking that no one loves me?"
Li Xiaonan laughed. "You can't say that. Didn't Chen Mo choose me back then instead of you?"
"Hmph! You didn't see her reaction when I told her the truth. She... boohoo..." Scheming's words were cut off as Chen Mo covered his mouth.
She glared fiercely. "If you dare say another word, I'll curse you to never find a wife for the rest of your life!"
Scheming narrowed his eyes and nodded.
He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, then his expression turned serious. "Xiao Nan, time is tight. You need to become a deity quickly!"
Li Xiaonan frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"The gates to the divine realm are closing soon! If you don't become a deity in time, even if you reach the critical point, you won't be able to ascend."
Li Xiaonan's frown deepened as she looked up and asked, "How do you know this?"
"I can't say. Just know that you need to hurry! For yourself and for those around you!"
Looking at Scheming's serious expression, Li Xiaonan nodded; nothing was more important than strength!
For instance, although Dog Egg had returned in time, when it came to strength, Li Xiaonan was still lacking significantly.
Li Xiaonan grabbed Chen Mo's hand and smiled at Ling Kui and the other girls, saying, "Girls! Let's go for Obedient Dragon II together!"
Ling Kui glanced at Chen Mo, shook her head, her expression cold and unreadable.
Li Xiaonan was taken aback, but Chen Mo stepped forward and said, "Chen Mo greets all the sisters! There may have been some misunderstandings before; I hope you can overlook my previous remarks."
Yun Moyu scoffed, "Didn’t you look down on us? Didn’t you mock us for not being able to have one-on-one love? If you follow Li Xiaonan, your fate will be the same as ours!"
Li Xiaonan frowned slightly and couldn’t help but look at Scheming, his eyes conveying unspoken thoughts.
Although he was happy that Chen Mo had come, upon further reflection, he felt a bit uneasy.
Chen Mo shouldn’t have come to this realm; she shouldn’t have gotten involved in his current life.
She should have her own life—going to college, finding a job, and living happily with a good man.
Yet now, she had left Earth, where she had lived for nearly twenty years, leaving behind her parents and friends to come to such a dangerous place.
And all of this was because of Scheming.
Feeling Li Xiaonan's disapproving gaze, Scheming shrank back and said, "Why are you looking at me like that? It’s this girl who decided to come find you; I just taught her Cultivation! Ah! The power of love is truly great! Ouch!"
Li Xiaonan angrily smacked the back of Scheming's head. One couldn't deny that height had its advantages!
Scheming grumbled, "Hitting me won’t change the facts! You might as well settle your woman quickly and start cultivating!"
"What are you in such a hurry for?"
Scheming glanced to the side, muttering, "Didn't I tell you? The gates of the divine realm are about to close! I'm just looking out for you!"
Li Xiaonan sighed, thinking: It seems Scheming really is tight-lipped.
Back when I was on Earth, I tried to cultivate, but it was impossible.
Besides, how long has it been since I left?
Even if I could cultivate, and even if Scheming had exceptional talent, there's no way they could comprehend everything in such a short time!
And they brought Chen Mo, who just entered the Heart-Moving Period, to the celestial realm!
Unless someone is helping!
Could it be that big brother Scheming mentioned?
That seems unlikely!
As Li Xiaonan was lost in thought, Chen Mo's heart seemed like a mirror.
She calmly said, "To be honest, I really don't want to share Xiao Nan with you. But I like him, I love him! I want to stay by his side, even though I know he can't give me a complete love!"
Li Xiaonan stared at Chen Mo in shock, feeling both joy and pain in her heart.
"You’re mistaken! First of all, Xiao Nan has always given us complete love. Second, my shaking my head doesn’t mean I disagree with you following Xiao Nan; it’s just..."
Before Ling Kui could finish her sentence, Yun Moyu immediately took over the conversation and said, "We are already married to Xiao Nan; we are all his officially recognized wives. So let’s pick an auspicious time and get things done!"
Chen Mo stared at the slightly raised corners of Yun Moyu's mouth, stunned. "Are you saying..."
Yun Moyu couldn't help but laugh, clutching her stomach. "Just kidding!"
"Ah?"
Ling Kui also resumed her gentle smile, taking Chen Mo's hand. "We have always noticed how good you are to Xiao Nan. Welcome to our group!"
"Thank you! Thank you all!"
Chen Mo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She had followed Scheming all this way, and her biggest worry was that the women around Li Xiaonan wouldn't accept her. She never expected to become sisters so easily.
"Ling Kui Sister, wait!" Lu Nishang frowned and walked up to Chen Mo, scrutinizing her from head to toe.
Everyone paused, unsure of what she was looking for.
After a long moment, Lu Nishang exclaimed, "Ah! You! You!"
Li Xiaonan looked at her astonished expression and immediately guessed what Lu Nishang was observing; she must be looking at Chen Mo's soul.
This girl had gone to the Land of the Morning Calm and had undergone such a transformation that she was almost unrecognizable.
Just as Li Xiaonan was about to explain, Lu Nishang shrieked, "It's Sister Yanrong! She is Sister Yanrong!"
How is that possible!
That was Li Xiaonan's first reaction.
Meanwhile, Scheming beside them was equally excited. "How is that possible!"
Lu Nishang furrowed her brows and said, "I can't be mistaken! She is truly Sister Yanrong. Perhaps she has been reincarnated, or maybe it's something else; the essence of the soul never changes!"
Li Xiaonan exchanged glances with Scheming and asked, "Who told you to bring Chen Mo here?"
Scheming pushed up his glasses and sighed, "A rather sleazy young man, to be precise, it was a god!"
Li Xiaonan's frown deepened; he did know of a god.
He instinctively glanced at his empty index finger. The ancestor of the Soul Gate seemed to be a god as well, and it was he who had repeatedly hinted at him.
Li Xiaonan shook his head and said, "Never mind. Once I become a god, many problems will naturally resolve themselves."
Lu Nishang was the first to clap and cheer, "That's great! Brother Xiaonan can finally cultivate One Becomes One! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight..."
It was rare for Lu Nishang not to miscount, and everyone soon realized an issue.
Li Xiaonan sighed and said, "Oh no! We're still one short! Fisher's Song is gone..."
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