The conversation inside the palace eventually came to an end.
With a gentle wave of Andrew's hand, the surrounding space quietly folded into itself.
Moments later...
William found himself standing once again beneath Earth's familiar sky.
A cool breeze brushed against his face.
He remained still for several seconds.
His destination was only a short distance away.
The secluded place where his younger sister had been cultivating ever since he left her to undergo her spiritual training.
Without wasting another moment, he stepped forward.
Not long afterward...
William arrived before the quiet valley.
The surrounding spiritual energy had become noticeably calmer than before.
The gate leading to the Spiritual World had already disappeared.
Instead...
Victoria sat peacefully beneath a great tree.
Her eyes were closed.
Her breathing was steady.
The moment she sensed William's presence...
She slowly opened her eyes.
Their gazes met.
"You've returned."
Victoria nodded gently.
"So have you."
William immediately noticed the subtle changes surrounding her.
Her spiritual aura had become significantly more stable.
Her soul felt far more complete.
Even the fluctuations of her cultivation had become smoother.
"You succeeded."
Victoria lowered her head modestly.
"I... made more progress than I expected."
"The Spiritual World wasn't kind..."
"But I learned a great deal."
William quietly nodded.
"I'm glad."
Silence followed.
Neither of them spoke.
Then...
Victoria slowly raised her head once more.
This time...
William noticed something he had hoped would eventually disappear.
Guilt.
Her eyes still carried it.
Deep within them...
Lingered the same helplessness that had existed ever since the day their parents died.
She bit her lower lip ever so slightly.
"I'm sorry..."
The words barely escaped her mouth.
William said nothing.
"I was there..."
"I should have..."
Her voice trembled.
"I couldn't protect them."
"I couldn't protect anyone."
She lowered her head once more.
"I was too weak."
William quietly walked toward her.
Without saying a single word...
He gently opened his arms.
That alone was enough.
Victoria rushed forward.
She buried her face against his chest.
Neither of them spoke.
No explanation was necessary.
No comfort could erase the past.
So they simply remained there.
Brother and sister.
Sharing a silence heavier than words.
After several long minutes...
Victoria slowly released him.
The guilt in her eyes had not disappeared.
But it had become slightly calmer.
William finally spoke.
"I'm leaving."
Victoria looked at him quietly.
"I've decided where I'll go next."
He calmly told her everything.
About Andrew.
About the invitations.
About the cultivation families.
About his decision.
About choosing the Evergreen Family.
Finally...
He spoke of the path he had chosen.
"The Path of the Strongest."
Victoria listened without interrupting him.
She remained completely silent until he finished.
The valley became quiet once again.
Then...
She slowly stepped closer.
Without saying a word...
She gently took William's hand into both of hers.
Her grip was warm.
Steady.
She looked directly into his eyes.
"I know you."
William remained silent.
"When you've made a decision..."
"...no one can change it."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"So I won't try."
Instead...
She squeezed his hand a little tighter.
"If this is the road you've chosen..."
"...then walk it without looking back."
William quietly watched her.
"I'll be alright."
"You don't have to worry about me every moment."
"I still have my own path."
"My own cultivation."
"My own future."
She smiled softly.
"And..."
"I'm not coming with you."
William nodded.
He had expected that answer.
"This world..."
"...is still where I belong."
"I still have things I wish to accomplish here."
She looked toward the distant horizon.
"But..."
Her smile became slightly brighter.
"If one day..."
"I decide that I'm ready..."
"I'll come find you myself."
"You won't need to search for me."
William slowly nodded.
"I'll be waiting."
They remained together for a little while longer.
Neither of them attempted to prolong the farewell.
Some goodbyes became heavier the longer they lasted.
When the time finally came...
William quietly turned away.
He did not look back.
Because he knew...
If he did...
Leaving would become much more difficult.
Not long afterward...
He returned to Andrew's palace.
Andrew looked up the moment William appeared.
"You've said your farewells for her."
William nodded.
"There is one favor I'd like to ask."
Andrew smiled.
"Go ahead."
William's expression became completely serious.
"I want someone to protect Victoria."
"Not interfere with her life."
"Not restrict her freedom."
"Only ensure that..."
"...nothing like before ever happens again."
Andrew remained silent for several moments.
Then he slowly smiled.
"I was planning to do so even if you hadn't asked."
William looked at him.
"She's the younger sister of the Eternal Body's successor."
"That alone makes her worth protecting."
He chuckled softly.
"But..."
"I'll assign someone personally."
"Someone capable enough that almost no one in this universe would dare lay a hand on her."
For the first time since returning...
William felt a small weight lift from his shoulders.
"Thank you."
Andrew simply waved his hand.
"No thanks are necessary."
He looked toward the endless sky.
"Shall we?"
William nodded.
"Let's go."
Space quietly folded around them.
The palace disappeared.
Earth faded into the distance.
Their figures crossed countless worlds in the blink of an eye.
Finally...
A vast continent unlike anything William had ever seen appeared before them.
Ancient forests stretched beyond the horizon.
Rivers of spiritual energy flowed across the land.
Gigantic mountains pierced the heavens.
Cities floated peacefully above the clouds.
At the center of it all...
Stood an enormous ancestral estate that radiated countless years of history.
Andrew smiled faintly.
"We're here."
William quietly looked at the magnificent estate before him.
"So..."
"This is the Evergreen Family."
"The beginning of your next journey."
Together...
The two of them slowly walked toward the gates of the Evergreen Family, where its Patriarch was already waiting to receive the newest—and perhaps most extraordinary—member in the family's history.