Sometime later…
Yun Qingye said gently, "Shu'er, it's time… time for us to go."
Mei Ningshuang nodded, agreeing with her husband. She patted Yun Shuyi's head lovingly and added, "Yes, Shu'er. It's time to go to our home. To your home."
I blinked and looked up at her. "Hmm… Mother, what's our home like?"
Mother smiled warmly at my question, but before she could speak, Father replied with a mysterious glint in his eyes, "Well, son… you'll see when we get there."
I turned back to Mother, giving her my best puppy-eyed look. She gasped softly and clutched her heart, "Aww! Stop flashing Mama such a look, sweetie, I can't take it…"
Still, somehow, she held firm—barely. "You'll see it when we arrive, okay? So stop being so cute—it's cheating!"
I looked away, puffing my cheeks and pouting. Both of them laughed at my reaction and began pinching my cheeks together.
"Mother! Father! Stop!" I cried, flailing.
Chuckling, they finally let go. Mother picked me up again, cradling me close. Together, we stepped out of the wooden house.
Yun Shuyi's POV
I shifted a little in Mother's arms, getting comfortable as we stepped beyond the door.
Then I looked up—
And saw something I could never have imagined.
A colossal vessel was descending from the sky, silent as starlight, like a drifting myth made real.
Its hull shimmered with soft, otherworldly light—crafted from silverwood harvested from the Celestial Moon Pines of Voidreach Forest. It was vast, elegant, curved like the outstretched wing of a phoenix, spanning hundreds of meters yet gliding as though weightless in the heavens.
Golden rune-lines wove across its surface, pulsing softly—ancient formations designed to navigate stars, storms, and even spiritual winds.
Its prow bore the sculpted figure of a slumbering dragon, its eyes flickering with strands of starlight. High above, sails of woven moon-thread fluttered faintly despite the stillness, drinking in cosmic flows beyond mortal sense.
Lanterns of living starfire floated at its flanks, casting a glow in every direction—warm, ancient, gentle.
Even space itself bent subtly around the ship, its form warping the air in whispers of realms crossed and legends made.
I gasped.
"That…" I whispered, eyes wide. "Is that… ours?"
Father gave a proud smile.
"Our ship, Shu'er. The Celestial Jadewind. She's carried us across galaxies… and now, she's brought us back to you."
Then suddenly—we flew.
"Aaah! M-Mother!" I yelped, clutching her tighter as the world dropped away.
My parents chuckled softly.
Father's voice was calm.
"Don't worry, Shu'er. You're safe."
I peeked from Mother's embrace. The house was already tiny below us, the treetops of Verdant Hollow flowing like rivers of green silk.
The clouds drifted past us—glowing gently beneath the setting sun.
The Verdant Hollow became smaller and smaller.
And then, at last… we landed upon The Celestial Jadewind.
Mother gently let me down.
The moment my feet touched the polished jadewood floor, I felt warmth—soft and ancient—rise through my soles.
What I saw next…
Was beyond even dreams.
The interior of the Celestial Jadewind shimmered like a palace forged from stardust and memory.
Arched halls stretched like temples carved into sky itself, veins of jade running through smooth crystalline walls. Threads of ethereal light pulsed faintly all around me.
Above, floating lanterns shaped like golden lotus blossoms drifted on invisible air, their glow shifting hue with every breath.
On both sides, silken banners bearing the Jade Sky Clan crest fluttered gently, though no wind stirred them—each one marked with celestial script that shimmered like whispers from another age.
And at the center of the crest…
A majestic jade dragon, coiled around a crescent moon, eyes gleaming with emerald light that followed wherever you stood. Behind it, wings of lightning and mist spread wide, regal and eternal.
At the heart of the emblem pulsed a star-jade gem, carved from a fallen star at the founding of our clan. Surrounding it, twelve starlit runes floated in perfect formation—silent, ancient, powerful.
It wasn't just a symbol.
As if it were a declaration to the heavens.
At the center of the ship's grand atrium, a crystal koi pond hovered midair, suspended by radiant formation arrays. The water glowed faint blue, and across its surface danced flecks of stardust—reflecting on the pillars like constellations come to life.
Floating stairways curved to chambers above, some enclosed in glass domes showing the cosmos outside, others glowing with warmth or peace depending on their purpose.
It didn't feel like a ship.
It felt like a piece of heaven carved by cultivators and set adrift through the stars.
I stood frozen, breath caught, heart full.
I turned toward the window and saw the tiny green patch of Verdant Hollow disappearing far, far below.
I asked, quietly—
"Mother… what is that?"
____________________________________________________________________________
I watched it fade, my world below—
The trees, the house, the quiet glow.
It held my tears, my dreams, my pain,
Through hunger, cold, and summer rain.
Now in their arms, I'm not alone…
But part of me still calls that home.