After all the arrangements were made.

The outside world erupted in an uproar.

"Tsk, their reaction is quite strong."

In the living room, Qin Yang glanced at the news on his phone, then paid it no more mind and headed for the bathroom.

He bathed and changed his clothes, purifying his body.

He changed into a spacious and clean white robe.

Then, he called out toward the kitchen.

"Xiaobai, I plan to enter secluded cultivation soon. Go and clear out the clutter in the basement."

The moment he finished speaking.

The sound of running water from the kitchen stopped.

"What? Master, you’re going into secluded cultivation?!"

Xiaobai put down the fruit she was washing in the sink, poked her head around the doorframe to look at Qin Yang, her face filled with disbelief, as if the sun had risen in the west.

She even thought she had misheard him!

Her master usually just lazed around every day, yet his power would just shoot up. So why would he suddenly want to go into secluded cultivation?!

’What is going on?!’

"Yes, you heard me right."

Qin Yang lowered his gaze and nodded.

The Blood Spirit Array had now been dealt with.

And the Beast God was sealed in the Da Li Mountain Range.

There wouldn’t be any other disturbances for hundreds or even thousands of years.

With Jianghai City free of internal and external threats, it was the most peaceful time for all of Earth Star. Thus, Qin Yang figured there was no time to lose; it was time to push for a higher realm.

The Late Stage of the Celestial Venerable Realm!

When he suppressed the Beast God, he had faintly sensed the threshold. He was just a single step away from truly reaching this realm.

And to find this ethereal Qi Level, secluded cultivation was the only way!

’Vying with heaven and earth for a fated opportunity.’

At this thought, Qin Yang sighed deeply and turned to Xiaobai, saying:

"My secluded cultivation might take a long time. I won’t have time to deal with outside matters. Go call Elder Li and have him come over. I have some things to entrust to him."

"Master, then... what about this Fairy?"

Xiaobai pouted, sidled up to Qin Yang aggrievedly, and her eyes suddenly reddened. "If you’re not home, your servant will miss you to death!"

’This was the first time Qin Yang would be leaving her side for so long!’

Before, the longest they had been apart was only a few days.

But now, it was going to be measured in years!

And with no certain date of return!

Just thinking about the days without Qin Yang...

HISS!

’It was heart-wrenching!’

Thinking this, Xiaobai immediately clung to Qin Yang’s arm. "Master, how about you just don’t go into seclusion? You’re already the strongest in the world anyway. You can just break through slowly later..."

As she spoke, Xiaobai’s eyes grew moist, and the sob in her voice became more and more obvious.

"Your servant doesn’t want you to go!"

"Xiaobai, be good."

Qin Yang said softly, raising his hand to place it on Xiaobai’s head. Her fluffy fox ears brushed between his fingers.

"While I’m away, you must also cultivate diligently. You can’t keep playing around and causing trouble."

"Oh..."

Hearing this, Xiaobai’s mood sank even lower.

But she opened her mouth and closed it, not saying anything more, just nodding obediently.

"You can go into seclusion without worry, Master. Your servant understands."

’Looking at her dejected expression, Qin Yang felt a soft spot in his heart stir. After so many years together, just how long had Xiaobai been with him?’

’Flowers bloomed and withered. With my own return from seclusion uncertain, I too feel reluctant to leave.’

...

...

「A short while later.」

Elder Li and the others rushed over after hearing the news, filling the living room.

"Young Master, how long will you be in seclusion this time?"

Liu Wushuang stepped forward worriedly and asked, "It’s not a death seclusion, is it? You’re already number one in the world! There’s no need! There’s really no need for this!"

The moment he finished speaking.

The others around them also hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

Qin Yang was the core of Jianghai City now.

If anything were to happen to him, how could they live with themselves!?

"Don’t worry, it’s not a death seclusion. It’s just a normal attempt to break through to the next realm."

Qin Yang shook his head and explained reassuringly, "It’s just that I’m not sure how long the seclusion will take. To break through to the Late Stage of Celestial Venerable, it could take as little as one or two years, or as long as ten..."

Hearing this, Elder Li and the others finally quieted down.

The living room became so quiet you could hear a pine needle drop.

Qin Yang’s tone was resolute, clearly leaving no room for persuasion.

Any further attempts to dissuade him would be useless.

Just then, Li Zixuan suddenly spoke up.

"Senior Brother, go into seclusion without any worries!"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze soft as she looked at Qin Yang and nodded gently. "Don’t have any lingering concerns. Your Junior Sister will also cultivate diligently on the outside."

She wasn’t too surprised that Qin Yang was going into seclusion.

She’d had a premonition that Qin Yang would leave one day. If the gap between them grew too large, she would only drift further and further away from him.

"Yeah, Xuanxuan is right! Master, don’t overthink it!"

Li Qinghe, standing nearby, chimed in. He held the Array Map Qin Yang had given him earlier and seemed to have matured quite a bit. "Your disciple will not disappoint you."

"Mm."

Feeling their expectant gazes, Qin Yang was finally able to set his mind at ease. With a flicker, he vanished into the void of the basement.

...

...

「In the blink of an eye.」

Flowers bloomed and withered, withered and bloomed again. Three years passed in a flash.

In Jianghai City, skyscrapers stood tall, one after another.

The city was bustling. As the fame of the Heaven-Blasting Gang spread far and wide, Star Martial Artists flocked to the city, drawn by its reputation. Jianghai City’s economy developed at a rapid pace.

Before anyone knew it, it had developed into a metropolis on par with the Imperial Capital.

「On this day.」

「Fuhai District.」

「In the secret chamber of the basement.」

A faint, dark fragrance floated in the air.

Qin Yang was sitting cross-legged on the floor, dressed in a white robe, his hair fluttering as if in a breeze.

The aura around him was ethereal.

Time flowed by in silence.

Then, as if everything had fallen perfectly into place, he slowly opened his eyes. A flash of understanding flickered within them, and his expression was unexpectedly calm.

’I’m almost there.’

Qin Yang sensed the state of the realm within his body.

Although his Star Force was calm and without ripples, it was actually only a paper-thin barrier away from being broken through, allowing him to reach the Late Stage of the Celestial Venerable Realm.

’Mm, I can’t rush it.’

Qin Yang nodded in satisfaction. ’It’s time to go out.’

He had just stepped out of the room when suddenly!

A fluffy snowball crashed into his arms.

"Master, you’re out of seclusion!"

Xiaobai buried her face in Qin Yang’s chest, rubbing against him affectionately and trying to burrow deeper, as if pouring out all the longing she had felt for the past three years.

"This Fairy missed you to death!"

"WAAH! Master, do you have any idea how your servant spent the last three years?!"

Xiaobai wrinkled her nose and looked up at Qin Yang. "I was all alone playing video games every day! You have to make it up to your servant later!"

"..."

Qin Yang was speechless for a moment, then chuckled. He glanced out the window. "I’ll make it up to you later. For now, have Liu Wushuang and the others come over."

...

...

"Congratulations, Young Master, on emerging from seclusion!"

"Your subordinates have been waiting for a long time!"

After learning that Qin Yang had emerged from seclusion, Liu Wushuang and the others rushed to the scene, bowing and kneeling on one knee.

Every one of their faces showed elation.

Three years had passed like flowing water, but for each of them, every day had felt like a year!

"Everyone, rise. You have all worked hard these past three years."

Qin Yang said in a level voice, then looked at Liu Wushuang with a smile and instructed, "Let’s skip the formalities for now. There’s important business to attend to."

"Young Master, what do you mean by that?"

The others were completely baffled.

Just then, a wide smile spread across Qin Yang’s lips.

"I am about to break through. All Earth Star Martial Artists may come to observe the ceremony and seek enlightenment!"