Pef managed to center himself after the wave of emotions passed, and looked around.

His father was missing, probably away on some mission for the Legion.

His apprentice Wong was meditating in a room on the Halo ring, while his hands were engulfed in flames. And still not fully in the 6th Tier, although he was close.

He sighed inward, as he felt Lin draw him into her inner realm, along with everyone else. But before he could vanish inside, another force intervened, and covered Pef with a green glow. A mental beacon pulsed from his house on the beach, and Pef sent an Avatar to see what this was about.

His Avatar sat in his beach house and picked up the bamboo leaf, while the Icefire burst out and enveloped the leaf in azure cold flames.

"You're planning so far ahead, Nine-Shades Immortal Bamboo Tree." Pef spoke through the flames. It wasn't a coincidence that this leaf was placed here, inside his inner world. And unlike before, Pef was now a little wiser, and far beyond what a normal Tier 5 should be.

"You are important, young one. More so than anyone else here knows. But I know. No matter how many deaths that I die, I can never forget." the bamboo answered with a pulse of Yin and Yang, shaped as to manifest words directly into his mind.

"Nine Shades, this means something then. Perhaps something about Tier 9?" Pef guessed, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the attention of another high tier entity.

"Not yet, young one. I am but a sapling of the World Tree, making its way slowly back home." the bamboo leaf disclosed while becoming more and more transparent, until it vanished.

Pef resumed his translation into Lin's inner universe, and only Rejin frowned for a second.

'You saw that?' Rejin asked his Ancient Cauldron.

'It's not important for us. The World Tree still dreams the long dream, scattered into a million broken branches all over Creation. A single sapling cannot change anything, despite the efforts of this Silent Monk.' the Cauldron answered with a sad tone.

'But, if it reached out to my employer...there might be a chance.' Rejin mused to himself.

'Forget the World Tree, little Alchemist. The White Tiger is here too! We should help his Majesty return. He even has a host now!' the Cauldron proposed in a slightly more hopeful voice.

'And that host is also married to Pef. Perhaps the boy is more important than he seemed...' Rejin continued with a thoughtful tone.

'We knew he was important from the day we met him. We just didn't know why. But now I do. He has a form of spirit flames now, so he can become an Alchemist or maybe even a Maker' the Divine Artifact concluded.

---------------

"...And after that, I met with Lara and we came back" Pef finished his story about his life in the Mirror Realm.

"But, you left Lady Zara in there!" His daughter Lily exploded in outrage.

"She is a Tier 4, my dear. And you are barely Ascended in Tier 3. There is nothing in that universe that can harm her." Pef said with a tiny shrug.

Lin and Faith's Avatars exchanged a quick glance, and possibly a longer conversation with their minds. "If Lady Zara reaches Tier 7, I will allow her to join our family. Until then, there is no need to cause Pef more heartbreak, if we lose another sister-wife forever. By the way, welcome home Lara!" the black-haired woman declared in a final tone, while embracing Lara and patting her back.

"Thank you, Lin. I also had my shares of adventures, and ended up picking up this tiny tiger from an old temple." Lara said while presenting her White Tiger pet, who was looking around with curious and cute eyes.

"So adorable! And he is even a Tier 1 Deity! Is this some kind of Godbeast?" Aria exclaimed and rushed to pet and snuggle with the small tiger.

Before Lara could answer, a white spirit tiger appeared in the air and flicked a lazy claw at the Tier 6 druid, making her tumble a dozen times backwards. "Do not touch my body like it's a toy. And I am not a mere Godbeast, I am their Ruler!" the tiger spirit proclaimed in a loud and dignified voice.

Pef smiled at the scene, since it was quite familiar already, from another wife in another life. "We will speak more, but for now I have a task from the General. Make a portal, old badger!" he demanded in a soft but level voice while miming knocking on a door.

Under his hand, a violet portal opened and Pef stepped away, leaving everyone a bit surprised.

Even the spirit tiger hesitated for a long moment before he vanished back into his painting. "Your husband is far more dangerous than he appeared. And why are so many big shots orbiting around him, even at Xian and Tian Realms?"

"Pef? You heard his life story already. Is reaching his level so easy, in 16 years?" Lara answered with a small smile.

"You did." the White Tiger answered grumpily.

"But the pill which gave me my Dian Realm was also provided by Pef. The weapon I used to fight you, was also his Heart Ruler. And we returned to this multiverse, because Pef asked that Mirror. Plus, you remember what that big Alchemist said..." Lara continued with a kind voice.

Then her eyes turned towards a disturbance. A woman had climbed onto her chair, seeming a bit drunk and very happy.

"Who wants to bet Pef will Ascend once more, in a year or less?" Xie shouted while taking out a jug of Godwine and waving it around for enticement.

"We're not wasting our wine for a losing bet, you moron. And you should start training and cultivating more seriously. Still at Tier 3 after so many years..." Lia spoke for the group, then nodded towards Lin and vanished outside the inner universe.

Xie snorted and took a deep gulp from the wine jug, then formed a cloud into a bed shape and went to sleep, ignoring everyone. Training? She only had to wait for Pef to give her a miracle pill. Maybe one like Lara got? Jumping directly into Tier 7 would be nice.

Aria clenched her hand on her necklace, feeling the Garden whisper some advice in her mind. "Can I also come, grandpa?" she spoke the magic words, and another violet portal appeared beside her. Waving at her family with a gleeful smile, Aria stepped through and arrived beside Pef in the Pearl Sea.

"Just in time, Garden girl. Fill this mind stone with all your insights into Wood Dao." The Taotie demanded with a toothy smile, while flicking a blue-glowing stone into her hands, although those who knew better realized it wasn't exactly a request.

The blonde teenager beside her barely nodded at her arrival, focused on another mind stone in his hands.

Only Yue seemed pleased to see her, and smiled warmly at her sister. "This is for your benefit as well, Aria. Pef has crafted a genial cultivation method, which should work until Tier 8. Or so grandpa says..." the indigo-haired woman explained with a nod towards the spirit beast.

"Eh? But he is only..." Aria muttered in surprise.

"Another one who doubts me. Your husband is special, green girl. You look at this Universe Realm and think your Elder Realm is better? He can kill any Dian Realm with a single strike!" the spirit badger burst out with a growl, making the whole Pearl Sea shake, and a couple of adamantium columns supporting the roof bend like straws in a gale wind.

"I rather not strike a Tier 7, old badger. The stronger I hit someone, the more I would suffer." Pef spoke with his eyes closed, while azure flames covered the mind stone in his hands.

"Humph! Just write it all down, little boy. And don't forget I want grandchildren." the Taotie muttered while measuring Yue as is preparing to give her away as dowry.

Pef smiled a little, while calming the terrified Icefire who was way too intimidated by the murderous beast. 'It's not going to hurt us, Icefire. Well, maybe it will hurt me, but only a little.'

he admitted in a more realistic voice.

'The multiverse is so scary! I never thought there would be so many powerful beings.' Icefire said with a small voice.

'We'll be as strong as them, soon enough. It's using the strength that worries me.' Pef said while writing down his Eight Element Method, and then starting with the Legion Method soon after. The General had given him the perfect advice, now all he had to do was put it in practice.

And then figure out how to defeat a Tier 9.