Only then did Ling Xiao seem to become aware of the pa.s.sing of time. He blinked and said, "Oh, it's this late?" He looked at Ling Lan and asked, "Are you leaving now?"

Ling Lan really wanted to say that she had stayed here for too long, that someone outside must already be looking for her. But, for some reason, Ling Lan found that she just could not spit those words out.

Even so, Ling Lan's silence had already told Ling Xiao that she really could stay no longer.

"Don't forget. This one month, find time to come here as much as possible!" Ling Xiao emphasized this point heavily once more, as if worried Ling Lan would forget.

Ling Lan nodded heavily. This was the first time she felt that leaving this place was so difficult, her heart ever so reluctant ...

"Go!" That said, Ling Xiao waved a hand, and Ling Lan felt herself being pushed out by a sweep of energy. By the time she came to her senses, she was already outside the legacy s.p.a.ce.

"Boss, let's go!" Ling Lan was not the only one who was reluctant; Little Four was just as reluctant. But they were really just out of time.

The two of them quickly returned to the recovery pod. They had not been back for 3 minutes when the recovery pod was opened to reveal Lan Luofeng's frantic and anxious face.

Ling Lan gave her mother a wide smile, soothing her by saying, "Mummy, I've woken up. I'm fine!" Ling Lan had really wanted to smile brilliantly, but the tears in her eyes began to flow uncontrollably ...

Mummy, did you know that Daddy and I had talked about you all afternoon? Did you know that, when Daddy heard news about you, his face would emit a radiant light? Did you know that, Daddy had to forcefully hold back the grief and regret he felt when he heard those wistful words you said while missing him?

Two people who were so obviously in love ... why did they have to be so cruelly separated by life and death? For the first time, Ling Lan felt pain stab into her heart, on behalf of her parents of this life who loved her so.

"Ling Lan, is it very painful?" Lan Luofeng was frantic over Ling Lan's tears, thinking Ling Lan was in unbearable pain. Ling Lan shook her head and said, "It doesn't hurt. I'm just glad I'm still alive ... Mummy, living is great, isn't it?" If Ling Xiao were still alive, would Lan Luofeng's life be without regrets?

"Yup, it's great as long as you're alive!" Lan Luofeng nodded emphatically, tears flowing down her face as well. As long as Ling Lan lived, even if she had to die immediately in exchange, she would be willing ...

At times, Lan Luofeng would think to herself that, if Ling Xiao were still alive, no one would dare to lay a hand on her Ling Lan. But Ling Xiao had truly pa.s.sed away so young. Without his protection, those despicable and avaricious people had targeted their child without reservation. From young, Ling Lan had learned on her own that she had to bear everything on her own shoulders ...

Ling Xiao, oh, Ling Xiao, how could you bear to leave us behind? However much I love you, that is how much I hate you! A trace of resentment flashed through Lan Luofeng's teary eyes. For the first time ever, she had a grudge in her heart towards Ling Xiao.

Ever since Ling Lan woke up, her body was slowly recovering within the recovery pod. This news was greeted with great joy by everyone in the Ling family. If the family head holding up a family is out of the picture, the family would very easily collapse on itself.

After finding out that Ling Lan was fine, Ling Qin began a new round of investigative retrenchment within the Ling family mansion. For some of those family loyalists whose loyalty could not be guaranteed, Ling Qin sent them all out of planet Doha to other planets to expand the Ling family businesses. He needed to ensure that before Ling Lan returned to the Ling family mansion, that all the Ling family members remaining on Doha were loyal without question.

Ling Lan's multiple brushes with danger had thoroughly frightened this Ling family chamberlain. He did not want Ling Lan to ever be in such crises again due to some negligence on his part. Ling Qin knew very well that luck would only work once or twice, but never three or four times. He needed to take comprehensive action ahead of time in order to ensure Ling Lan's safety.

At this moment, Ling Lan did not know that because of her, everyone in the Ling family had begun to move, trying to create a safe home for her to recuperate in peace. In this one month, she was busy sneaking into Ling Xiao's legacy s.p.a.ce along with Little Four to meet Ling Xiao.

However, in this one month, Ling Xiao was obviously much stricter than before. The moment Ling Lan entered the legacy s.p.a.ce, Ling Xiao would throw her into an a.s.sessment s.p.a.ce to test all the abilities she had learned thus far. Even if she pa.s.sed the a.s.sessment on a particular front, this did not mean that Ling Lan was free — the next time, the a.s.sessment would still be there, but its contents would have been raised by a whole difficulty level ...

These kinds of pressure-test a.s.sessments allowed Ling Lan to gain a deeper understanding of all the abilities under her belt. Her initially already somewhat loosened and primed Qi-Jin at peak stage, under the continuous pressuring over the course of the month, successfully broke through to officially enter the optimal peak level of Qi-Jin. As long as Ling Lan continued to acc.u.mulate the Qi in her body, she felt that she would soon be able to peek into the profound secrets of Domain stage.

Still, Ling Lan had the vague feeling that she already seemed to understand what the profound secrets of Domain stage were — but that feeling was like a flash of lightning, slipping away before it could be caught. But Ling Lan believed that as long as the energy within her body acc.u.mulated till a certain level, she would perhaps then be able to know what the profound secrets of Domain stage were.

That great barrier that blocked off 99.9999999999% of Houtian Domain masters from ascending to become Xiantian Domain masters — to her, was perhaps not that difficult ... 

This feeling was very intriguing; Ling Lan felt as if she were being informed by her own body's instinct. This pleased Ling Lan tremendously. Initially, she had thought that ascending to Domain stage would require luck and serendipity, that she may very well be stuck at this barrier for up to 5 to 10 years — perhaps even her whole life. But unexpectedly, the heavens favoured her so, actually bestowing such a cheat upon her ...

In her excitement, Ling Lan told her father Ling Xiao what she was feeling. Ling Lan's strange feelings also caused Ling Xiao to be rather stunned. However, Ling Xiao did not believe that these feelings were untraceable, and so carefully asked her for a detailed accounting of everything that had happened in the recent past. When he heard that someone had borrowed her body to unleash Domain energy, Ling Xiao was pretty sure he now understood part of it.

Ling Xiao guessed that, because Ling Lan's body had felt Domain stage energy first-hand, its muscles had generated a type of Domain energy memory. Moreover, this memory would help Ling Lan grasp the profound secrets of Domain, and from there, lead Ling Lan into becoming a true Domain master. Regarding this, Ling Xiao could not help but admit that Ling Lan's luck was truly astounding — actually being able to benefit from misfortune under those kinds of circ.u.mstances.

However, Ling Xiao also believed that this muscle memory would fade away with the pa.s.sage of time. Therefore, for Ling Lan to successfully advance to Domain stage, she would need to do so before this muscle memory disappeared. Otherwise, once enough time pa.s.sed, the muscle memory would vanish, and this fortuitous catalyst would also be lost. At that time, for Ling Lan to advance to Domain stage, she would then have to do it the hard way like other people. She would have to continue to seek out chance opportunities to obtain the possibility of sudden insight.

Ling Xiao's words gave great joy to Ling Lan even as they burdened her. Indeed, this was her lucky chance — but whether or not she could take good advantage of it still depended on her hard work.

A month pa.s.sed swiftly. On this day, Ling Lan once again came to Ling Xiao's legacy s.p.a.ce. Ling Xiao did not act like before and throw Ling Lan into an a.s.sessment s.p.a.ce, nor did he give pointers on Ling Lan's combat weaknesses and instruct her through learning exercises. At this moment, he was just sitting behind his study desk, deep in thought.

Seeing Ling Lan arrive, he stood up and slowly walked over to Ling Lan's side, and then hugged her close gently. "Ling Lan, my child, in this one month, you have worked hard. I am very happy seeing your growth."

Ling Lan, in Ling Xiao's embrace, felt her father's warm presence enveloping her. This caused Ling Lan to breathe in silently. This was the first time Ling Xiao was hugging her — it felt so good that she almost lost herself in the sensation.

This kind of warm hug filled with the sense of safety, was an experience so distant within Ling Lan's memory, almost forgotten ... Only when she experienced it again did Ling Lan know that she had always yearned for it inside her heart. She yearned for all of this ... as expected, she was still a girl, somewhat sentimental! This was really not a good thing — her current ident.i.ty did not permit her to be weak ...

But, just this once, let her let loose and be selfish — let her revert to being a little girl for once, and freely enjoy the warmth and safety of her father's embrace. It was as if the wind and rain would be kept out by this strong and gentle man before her eyes — she could just hide safely within the nest of her father's arms.

"Time really went by so quickly, I don't feel ready to let go ..." Ling Xiao's arms suddenly tightened around her, his entire presence s.h.i.+fting from its initial tender warmth into cold grimness. "But, a baby eagle must still leave its nest to fly on its own eventually ..."

Ling Xiao slowly pushed Ling Lan away. "All I should have taught you, I already have. In the end ..." Ling Xiao slowly reached out his right hand, and tapped Ling Lan lightly on the forehead. Ling Lan blinked blankly, then felt a surge of foreign memories rush into her brain, including some of the tasks Ling Xiao needed her to do after this.

Ling Lan stared dubiously at Ling Xiao, unsure why he would use this method to leave his final instructions.

Ling Xiao smiled gently, a finger lightly pressed to his lips, in a shus.h.i.+ng motion, indicating for Ling Lan not to say anything. In his eyes, there was a trace of cunning.

"I believe the military has always been monitoring this area. In truth, I've sensed the presence of a foreign spiritual ent.i.ty, but that spiritual ent.i.ty does not seem to have any bad intentions, which is why I've ignored them. Still, some things, some legacies, should not be known to other people ... it's fine if you understand, don't say anything."

These words by Ling Xiao rang out in Ling Lan's mind; it was uttered from the spiritual ent.i.ty Ling Xiao had inserted into her mind just previously.

Ling Lan surrept.i.tiously wiped the cold sweat off her forehead, unsure whether she should tell Ling Xiao of Little Four's existence. However, Ling Xiao did not give Ling Lan any opportunity to speak. He suddenly lifted his head to look out the study door and said, "Although I really cannot bear to part from you, for your safety, I need to disappear now ..."

Ling Xiao bowed his head, once more looking intently at Ling Lan, his eyes s.h.i.+ning with relief and happiness. "Ling Lan, I am very proud I am your father. One day, you will create your own legend. Daddy is proud of you!"

That said, Ling Xiao beamed. The smile on his face this time was more radiant than any before it, dazzling to the eye, but Ling Lan did not get lost in its brilliance this time. Because, an indescribable sadness was rising in her heart at that moment — in Ling Xiao's smile, Ling Lan could see deeply hidden grief and regret. If it were possible, Ling Lan believed that Ling Xiao would never want to die — he would never choose to disappear from this world.

Houtian and Xiantian are two cultivation stages which appear in several novels, with the Houtian stage preceding the Xiantian stage. Very roughly, the idea is that something "Xiantian" is primordial and thus close to the true essence of things, while something "Houtian" is degraded or further away from it. (sourced and adapted from 'Immortal Mountain's Glossary of Terms in Wuxia, Xianxia & Xuanhuan Novels'.)