Chapter 1318: Has General Lu Really Come Back to Life?

Lu Yang's story was so extensive it couldn't be fully recounted in three days and three nights. Xia He listened intently, her eyes reflecting the vibrant enthusiasm on Lu Yang's face.

From Lu Yang's vivid descriptions, Xia He came to understand the vast and magnificent nature of the cultivation realm, and how incredibly rich and varied Lu Yang's experiences had been over the years.

Though Lu Yang had faced numerous dangers over the years, Xia He observed that he remained excited and deeply enjoyed recounting these adventures. It was clear he was very content with his journey so far.

A pang of regret hit her: it was a pity she hadn't been by his side.

"You must be hungry, I'll have someone send up some food," Xia He offered, though in reality, it was she who felt the hunger, not Lu Yang.

Suddenly, Xia He froze, a problem dawning on her.

"What's the matter?" Lu Yang asked, bewildered.

Xia He pointed to her rejuvenated face, a hint of panic in her voice: "Now that I look like this, will they still recognize me?"

If the security personnel discovered Xia He had regressed to her youth, even the most composed among them would be thrown into disarray. While they might eventually confirm her identity through fingerprints or DNA, the process would certainly not be a calm one.

"Then I'll turn you back to your original appearance," Lu Yang teased, pinching his throat to mimic her former voice: "'Lu Yang, I'm dying!'"

"Don't you dare!" Xia He exclaimed, playfully hitting Lu Yang, her punches soft and lacking any real force.

"Stop, stop! Let me think of a solution," Lu Yang quickly conceded.

"I've got it."

A moment later, Lu Yang retrieved a jade stone, intricately carved with delicate patterns, from his identification pendant.

"This is a small gift from Junior Sister Tao, whom I mentioned earlier," Lu Yang explained. "She's an expert in illusions, and this jade has illusion array patterns carved into it. When you wear it, others will perceive you as your original self."

"That amazing?"

Xia He put on the jade stone, glanced in the mirror, and indeed, she had transformed back into an elderly woman, her voice also sounding aged. When she removed the pendant, she instantly returned to her youthful state.

Feeling reassured, Xia He then called for the housekeeper to bring up some food.

The housekeeper was momentarily stunned upon seeing Xia He, unsure when she had returned home. However, she dared not inquire and simply proceeded to prepare the meal.

"Please add plenty of rich ingredients," Xia He instructed. Ordinarily, she was limited to a single bowl of millet porridge, but now, restored to her youth, her appetite had surged.

The housekeeper trembled, a wave of sorrow washing over her. The day she dreaded had finally arrived; it seemed Elder Xia was experiencing a final, fleeting surge of energy.

She vowed to pour all her effort into preparing the best possible meal of her life, ensuring Elder Xia's last supper was perfect.

"Did she misunderstand something?" Xia He pondered upon her return, never having witnessed such a resolute gaze from the housekeeper before.

Lu Yang merely chuckled to himself, not breaking the illusion. This "silly girl" truly hadn't changed; she appeared clever but was, in fact, quite naive.

"By the way, do you know where Bai Shuang is?" Lu Yang inquired, asking about the whereabouts of the Blue Star Will.

Lu Yang himself had bestowed the name Bai Shuang upon the Blue Star Will.

"Bai Shuang? I haven't seen her in quite some time."

As Xia He was Lu Yang's most trusted confidante, when Lu Yang self-detonated on the Spirit Stone Planet in his previous life, Bai Shuang returned to Blue Star. She immediately sought out Xia He, delivered the devastating news, and urged her to form an army to eradicate the zombies.

Later, when Xia He spearheaded Blue Star's reconstruction, Bai Shuang provided significant assistance. Through these shared efforts and their connection to Lu Yang, Xia He became one of Bai Shuang's few close friends.

"She said she was going to find a way to save me, and then she vanished, never to be seen again," Xia He sighed, wishing she could share the good news of Lu Yang's survival with her.

As the planet's will, Bai Shuang appeared and disappeared without a trace. It was always Bai Shuang who initiated contact with Xia He, who, in turn, had no means of reaching her.

This posed a challenge for Lu Yang. He could locate Guyu because the high-ranking officials of the Zhutian civilization were aware of her existence, meaning her whereabouts could easily be extracted through interrogation.

However, Bai Shuang was extremely reclusive; it was likely that only Xia He on the entire Blue Star knew of her existence, making a search incredibly difficult.

Yet, Lu Yang didn't dwell on it. Bai Shuang was actively seeking a method to save Xia He, and regardless of whether she found one, she would eventually return to Xia He.

Another half a month passed, during which Lu Yang remained by Xia He's side. They visited the history museum, old war zones, and libraries to see how history had immortalized Lu Yang. Together, they recalled every detail of their apocalyptic experiences, often sharing a knowing smile when recounting awkward moments.

"You concealed the fact that I was the original pathogen, didn't you?" Lu Yang asked. Their acquaintance had begun when Xia He ventured deep into the zombie-infested danger zone to investigate the virus's origin.

Yet, historical accounts made no mention of the virus's origin being discovered.

Xia He beamed. "You are Blue Star's hero, and during that period, you were the beacon of hope for all humanity. A symbol of faith cannot be tarnished."

Lu Yang simply nodded, offering no reply.

"Could you perhaps invite the immortal within you to meet me?" Xia He asked with curiosity. Among all of Lu Yang's tales, this female immortal was mentioned most frequently.

"How dare a mere mortal like you presume to meet this immortal at will?" Despite her haughty words, the Undying Fairy still emerged from Lu Yang's body, glaring indignantly at Xia He, finding her irritating from every angle.

Little Yangzi spent all his time doting on Xia He, hardly ever chatting with the Fairy anymore.

"Greetings, Immortal Senior," Xia He said, performing an ancient salute that was remarkably precise, having learned it specifically from Lu Yang and mastered it instantly. "Thank you for consistently looking after Lu Yang."

Lu Yang had previously wondered why Xia He showed such an interest in the ancient courtesies of the cultivation realm. Was it all for this very moment?

Xia He's respectful demeanor greatly pleased the Undying Fairy, who smugly huffed, "There's nothing to thank me for. Little Yangzi is, after all, *my* charge, so looking after him is simply my duty."

"Senior, your esteemed title is 'Undying,' implying eternal existence and boundless freedom," Xia He continued. "Yet, it seems you find it difficult to reform your immortal body and must reside within Lu Yang's spiritual space. This must be quite a hardship for you."

The Undying Fairy was taken aback. Why did it feel as though the young woman's words carried a deeper implication?

After hearing Lu Yang's stories, Xia He felt an inexplicable strangeness about the Undying Fairy, sensing something was amiss. However, this was merely her intuition, and she had spoken without much thought.

Xia He's bodyguards, aware of the mysterious man's constant presence beside her, remained vigilant day and night. They feared he might be attempting to use Elder Xia to achieve some clandestine objectives.

Though Elder Xia had retired from the political arena, her influence persisted. A single word from her still commanded serious attention from Blue Star's high-ranking officials.

As for Xia He's assertion that the mysterious man was Lu Yang, the bodyguards naturally remained skeptical, despite witnessing Lu Yang's superhuman abilities at the history museum.

While nominally her bodyguards, they were in fact soldiers dispatched by Blue Star's high command to protect Xia He. When they reported their intelligence on Lu Yang, the high command responded with a collective silence.

The reason was simple: they also possessed a report from the Director of the Aerospace Bureau.

The ancient figure depicted in satellite photographs, navigating space in a small boat, was an exact match for the mysterious man accompanying Xia He.

"Is the individual with Elder Xia truly General Lu?"

Blue Star's high-ranking officials reacted in various ways, but all unanimously decided to classify the matter as top secret. They refrained from visiting the resurrected Lu Yang and the seemingly fading Xia He.