Qin Yan had no choice but to wander aimlessly in the town in the valley. He noticed many people running back and forth on the streets of the town, moving tables and chairs, setting up baskets filled with fruits on the streets, and others erecting tents and cooking on the main street, appearing very busy.

"What are you all doing?" Qin Yan casually asked a resident nearby.

"Oh, our Queen Mother is about to arrive, and we are preparing a feast to welcome her," the person replied hastily before continuing with their work.

After a while, Lin Shiqi and Dream Butterfly came out of the room. The busy residents had set up numerous tables, chairs, and stools in an open space in the town's main street. The Old Lord led Qin Yan and the others to the front seats, instructing them to stay there and not leave. He mentioned that the Queen Mother would arrive soon. Qin Yan, Lin Shiqi, and the others were curious about the grand reception, wondering who this Queen Mother was and what made her so special.

Suddenly, the sky darkened, and a heavy wind sound echoed above the town. A massive floating island appeared in the sky above the street, slowly descending towards the ground with a loud rumble before landing in an empty space in the town.

The Old Lord hurried to the base of the huge island, bowing respectfully. Others also stood up and bowed as a humanoid creature dressed in purple and gold descended from the island and landed in front of the Old Lord.

"Is that person the Queen Mother? Why does she look a bit strange?" Lin Shiqi, standing next to Qin Yan, voiced her doubts. The person descending from the island wore human clothing but appeared to be a half-human, half-beast creature.

The individual had disheveled hair and a face resembling a middle-aged woman, with large, fierce eyes and a ferocious expression. Their mouth revealed long, sharp fangs like a tiger, and their hands resembled wildcat claws. A long, leopard-like tail peeked out from under their dress. They appeared to be a strange monster with a human face and a beast's body.

"Queen Mother, welcome. Please have a seat over here," the Old Lord said, leading the peculiar being to the central front seat.

The unkempt Queen Mother glared at the Old Lord and spoke in a hoarse, unpleasant voice, "I heard that you have some important guests here and wanted me to meet them. I'm here now, where are they?"

The Old Lord hastily replied, "They are over there, see—"

As he spoke, the Old Lord gestured towards Qin Yan, Lin Shiqi, and Dream Butterfly on the Queen Mother's right side and then turned to look at Yi Tian, Chou Yu, and Ji Hui on her left.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Ah, them. They all look very young," the Queen Mother observed before taking a seat. The others followed suit and sat down.

"Let the feast begin!" the Old Lord announced loudly. Platters of meat, fruits, and other foods were placed in front of everyone in order of importance. The Queen Mother, unreservedly, used her claws to grab meat and fruits and started eating heartily. The others followed suit.

"The Queen Mother seems so uncivilized, almost like a savage," Lin Shiqi whispered to Qin Yan after observing the Queen Mother for a while.

"Don't worry about that, let's eat first," Qin Yan replied, as he had not eaten yet, and immediately began enjoying the food placed in front of him.

The Queen Mother continued to eat heartily from the meat and fruits placed on her table. After a while, she seemed to remember something and glanced at the trident spear next to Qin Yan, speaking in a hoarse, deep voice, "I heard you all came from the mortal realm. How did you manage to come all the way here, and how did you find this place?" The people around immediately stopped eating and remained quiet to avoid interrupting the Queen Mother.

Thinking the Queen Mother was addressing him, Qin Yan responded loudly, "We arrived here by chance. As for how we found this place, it was because we encountered a talking and shape-shifting leopard in a city. It informed us about this place."

"The shape-shifting leopard from the dead city to the southeast? Is that what you're talking about?" the Queen Mother asked.

"Yes, that's the one," Qin Yan replied thoughtfully.

"Oh, that's quite something!" The Queen Mother expressed surprise, as did the others. The Old Lord added, "That beast is formidable. Countless people have died at its hands. To escape from it shows great skill on your part."

"We didn't defeat the leopard; we just managed to escape from it," Qin Yan clarified.

"No need to be modest. Resisting attacks from the beasts along the way and reaching here is already impressive. So, what is your purpose for coming here?" the Queen Mother inquired.

Before Qin Yan could respond, Yi Tian Chou interrupted, "Your Majesty, I am Yi Tian Chou. I've heard that you know the method to return from the heavenly realm to the mortal realm. I have come specifically to seek your guidance on this matter so I can return to the mortal realm."

The Queen Mother glanced at Yi Tian Chou, burst into a rough laughter, but did not answer his question. Yi Tian Chou asked, "May I ask, Your Majesty, what's so amusing?"

The Queen Mother stopped laughing and bluntly said, "Are you a fool? What's good about the mortal realm? Once you return, you'll age and die in a few decades. By staying here, you can have a longer lifespan than in the mortal realm. Most people can't even come here, yet you want to go back. It's truly foolish. Ha ha ha!"

Yi Tian Chou was taken aback by her words and didn't know how to respond. Qin Yan spoke up, "We want to return to the mortal realm to complete some unfinished tasks. Once they are done, we will return to the heavenly realm."

The Queen Mother looked at Qin Yan and said, "Oh, your thoughts are commendable. But have you considered that once you return, you may not have the chance to come back to the heavenly realm? You might end up dying in the mortal realm. By staying here, you can have an extremely long life. With luck, immortality is possible. You can enjoy endless happiness here, experience the joy that mortals cannot have. Is it really worth giving up this paradise and going to the painful mortal realm to suffer? Think carefully."