Cheng Bo quickly guided Mark to the soft leather sofa near the large panoramic window.
Once Mark sat down, Cheng Bo instinctively stood beside him like an attendant, posture straight, expression respectful. With a flick of his fingers, several holographic screens materialized in the air, profit charts, expansion routes, logistics schedules, manufacturing data, everything ticulously organized.
He began explaining eagerly, "Boss, in the past eight months, Genesis Enterprises expanded into 107 major cities. Total revenue..."
Mark lifted his hand and gently cut him off. "Cheng Bo… relax. I didn't co here to audit the business."
The Welpire blinked, confused. "Then…?"
Mark smiled faintly and leaned back. "I ca to see how my younger brother is doing."
The words hit Cheng Bo like a heavyweight. His eyes widened, the holograms around him flickering as his concentration slipped. He opened his mouth, closed it again, and simply stared at Mark with stunned disbelief.
Mark chuckled and patted his shoulder gently. "I ant what I said before. You are family who has been with when I didn't have much status. So tell , anything interesting happening in your life besides expanding the company faster than anyone imagined?"
Cheng Bo scratched his cheek awkwardly. "My life? What else is there, Lord Lu…? I only have my work."
Mark sighed with amusent. "Forget it. You're hopeless." He then tilted his head and asked in a calm tone, "But tell , do you want to handle sothing bigger?"
"Bigger… scale?" Cheng Bo echoed, confused.
Mark nodded slowly. "Yes. I want to expand Genesis Enterprises to other planes of existence. Mainly the weapon division. I'm dealing with immortals, Saints, God-level beings, even ancient races… but I don't have the organizational structure we built in this world."
He leaned forward, eyes sharp yet warm.
"If you're willing, you can co with . Work beside . Learn to negotiate with beings you once thought only existed in myths. And if you do… I will personally make sure you step into the realm of Demigods. And with ti, maybe even Immortal."
Silence filled the room as Cheng Bo's mind froze. His pupils trembled. His breath hitched. For a whole minute, he couldn't speak.
"M… ? A demigod?" he whispered in disbelief.
Mark nodded lightly. "Think carefully. Don't decide now. I'll return later, or send Alina to hear your answer. Take your ti."
Cheng Bo bowed deeply, still shaking.
Mark left the office and vanished from the building.
A mont later, he descended on the familiar, icy peak of Mt. Lan, where snowstorms blew in circles around the cliff. A large three-tailed red leopard was stretched comfortably across a stone platform, dozing lazily.
The creature's eyes snapped open the mont it sensed him. Recognition followed, and its body shimred with red light. It transford into a middle-aged man with wild hair, tribal markings across his skin, and the powerful aura of a sacred beast.
"Lu Zhen…" the Zheng murmured, his voice rough with emotion. "It's been a year. And I see..." he paused, eyes widening as he took in Mark's presence, "You have broken through to immortality. Your grandfather would be proud to see you in this state…" Although while saying that, its ears dropped in a bit of disappointnt as now it is no longer useful to the master he swore loyalty to.
Unaware of its emotions, Mark nodded calmly. "A lot has happened. I'm now the lord of the Lan Sect."
The Zheng stiffened in surprise at that.
Mark continued gently, "My grandfather's remains are still here. I ca to bring him ho. Back to the clan, where he belongs."
Silence fell as the mountain winds howled past them.
Mark then asked, "Will you co with , Zheng? The Lan Clan is your master's lineage. If you wish, you can return with as well."
The sacred beast stood frozen for a long mont, shock flickering in his eyes, shock, then tenderness, then sothing like relief.
His voice finally ca out in a whisper.
"You… you are taking us ho?"
Mark nodded softly. "Yes, but not right now. I have important things to do at the clan. Once I finish with those, I will co to get you. Until then, I hope you will return to the palace and protect my ho. After all, Sylvandria and my mother will be coming with ."
The Zheng's expression trembled. For the first ti in centuries, he bowed his head.
"I will follow your orders, Master."
A while later, Mark stood at a wide excavation site near the foot of Mt. Wudang, where dust rose into the air and dozens of tools lay scattered around. A massive, ancient skeleton rested half-unearthed, a stocky reptilian creature with thick, plated bones that radiated faint traces of demigod aura even after millions of years. Allen and Zan Rong sat nearby, dirt sared on their cheeks, looking proud of their discovery.
Mark approached them quietly, and the mont Allen saw him, he ran over with open arms. "Brother!"
Mark hugged him tightly, then pulled Zan Rong into the embrace as well.
They sat together on a pile of rocks, the cold wind swirling around them while they talked about the city's growth, their recent work, and the bizarre changes that had overtaken the world in his absence.
Mark listened carefully, occasionally smiling or shaking his head in disbelief. For a long ti, the three simply sat together like family reunited.
The next day, beneath the quiet shadows of the Ancestral Temple, Mark and Sylvandria stood side by side.
There was no audience, no fanfare, only the soft glow of incense and the solemn presence of ancestral spirits. Sylvandria wore a simple white elven ceremonial gown; Mark wore dark robes with Lan Clan embroidery.
When they exchanged bows and placed their hands before the ancestral tablet, their marriage was sealed, low-key, quiet, and private, just as she wished. The twins slept peacefully in a cradle nearby, unaware that their parents had finally united officially.
Another day passed, and morning mist rolled through the palace courtyard. Mark, Sylvandria, holding the twins, Lan Jingyi and Shang Fu, Song Yue, and little Lu Shan, Shen Ling carrying Shen Yi, everyone stood in a tight circle. Their hands linked, forming a ring around a glowing white stone placed at the center of the formation.
There were only two ways to cross worlds: through permanent world portals… or through dinsional travel stones like this one.
The stone pulsed gently as Mark activated it. He then looked toward those who would stay behind: Alina, White Knight Fu Sheng, Zheng in the human form, Allen, and Zan Rong, standing a few steps away at the courtyard entrance.
"I leave everything here to all of you," Mark said firmly. His gaze fell on Allen. "Allen… think one more ti. You can still co with us."
Allen smirked lightly. "We'll join you when this place becos boring. For now… go. But co back often."
Mark nodded and turned to Alina. Shen Ling stepped forward and placed the dallion of the Queen into Alina's hand once more.
"I leave the empire to you," she said softly.
Alina held back the trembling in her voice and bowed. "I will not fail you, Your Majesty. And… big brother," she looked at Mark with an emotional smile, "I look forward to the day I can live with the family again."
Mark reached forward and gently tapped her forehead. "That day will co sooner than you think."
The stone shone brightly, and the world around them dissolved into streaks of light.
A sudden blast of icy wind greeted them. They materialized in a vast, snow-covered plain where the sky was pale blue and the ground stretched endlessly in frozen mountains. A crushing gravitational force pressed down on everything the mont they arrived, but none of them staggered.
Mark had already conjured a shimring barrier around the group, dispersing the pressure and altering the air density to match their howorld. Inside the gentle bubble of energy, it felt as comfortable as standing in the palace courtyard.
"Ark," Mark murmured, "scan the environnt. Confirm our plane."
A mont later, the AI chid within his mind.
[ Confird: Ice and Fire Plane of Existence. ]
Mark nodded in satisfaction. He looked around at his family, Song Yue hugging Shen Yi close, Shen Ling inspecting the frozen horizon, Lan Jingyi whispering to Lu Shan who was gazing in wonder at the falling snowflakes.
"Alright," Mark said. "Let's get moving."
He stretched his hand into the air and summoned sothing from his inventory. A massive shadow flashed above them. The next instant,
A B-2 Spirit Bomber uncloaked in the sky.
Sleek, black, and enormous, its wings extended across the white horizon, engines humming quietly as it descended until its ramp touched the snow.
Mark gestured toward it.
"Everyone, get inside. The clan estate isn't far."
Mark allowed the AI to take full control of the bomber while everyone inside rested.
The engine humd softly as they cut through the icy skies of Glacedor for nearly six straight hours.
By the ti the bomber descended, the world outside had fallen into a deep, polar night. Frosty winds swept across the barren plains, and the faint light of distant stars reflected off endless glaciers.
As the ramp lowered and they stepped out, Shen Ling wrapped her cloak tighter and exhaled a long breath that misted in the cold. "I don't think commuting is as easy as I imagined," she muttered.
Lan Jingyi sighed, brushing snow from her sleeves. "It's because Earth doesn't have a direct portal to the Null Point. And without the Null Point, no one can cross planes safely. Six hours… this will be our reality unless we make better arrangents."
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