Regaining what was lost is one of life’s greatest joys, and at this moment, everyone present felt the profound weight of that sentiment.

The joy of their reunion was so overwhelming that they forgot they were still in a frozen, post-apocalyptic world. At this moment, it was as if they were the only people in the world, together with their most important family.

As long as the people were here, it was home.

Tang Mo thought she wouldn’t cry. These past few days, she thought she had already prepared herself to see her family again.

But the moment she saw her mother’s haggard face, all her defenses crumbled. No amount of mental preparation mattered anymore.

Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, falling to the floor and soaking into the carpet in small, dark circles.

Tang Mo didn’t bother wiping her tears, instead hurrying over to help Lin Yi back to the bed.

“Mom, the floor is cold.”

“Yes, yes, my good daughter. My dear Momo has come back.”

Lin Yi let Tang Mo lead her, her gaze never leaving Tang Mo’s face for a second as she reached out to touch her daughter’s cheek.

Outside, the grown men watching the scene quietly felt their own eyes begin to sting.

Qin Ling gently closed the tent flap, giving the mother and daughter a small world of their own.

“As long as she’s back, that’s all that matters. As long as she’s back.”

Wen Jianshu murmured. He was the oldest among the men and the one crying the hardest. He had been afraid that if Tang Mo didn’t return, he wouldn’t just lose a daughter—he would lose his wife, too.

Tang Mo and Lin Yi remained in the tent for a good half a day. No one knew what they said to each other.

By the time Tang Mo came out again, Lin Yi had already fallen asleep.

“Xiao Tao, when my mom wakes up, would you mind making her a bowl of congee?”

Tang Mo said, exiting the tent as quietly as she could.

“Yes, of course!”

Xiao Tao glanced from Lin Yi in the tent to Tang Mo, an irrepressible joy bubbling up inside her. It was as if color had suddenly returned to their gray, dreary days.

Xiao Tao and Lin Yi were very close; she had long since come to see Lin Yi as her godmother, and the two had kept each other company at the base.

Ever since Tang Mo’s accident, Lin Yi had barely eaten or drunk a thing, and she had wasted away.

Xiao Tao had been terribly worried. She tried everything—cooking delicious food, telling jokes to cheer Lin Yi up—but nothing had worked.

It was as if Lin Yi had lost her very soul.

Lin Yi’s state hadn’t just made Wen Jianshu and Xiao Tao worried sick; it also meant that Xu the Third’s life wasn’t easy either.

With Xiao Tao so worried and stressed, she wasn’t exactly gentle with Lao San when she got back to him.

Knowing his wife was miserable, Xu the Third didn’t dare talk back, and he had to put up with a lot during that time.

Now that Momo was back and her godmother was eating again, Xiao Tao was naturally in high spirits. Overjoyed, she took her two little ones and bustled off to get things done.

“Uncle Wen, Sect Leader, Lin Yu… thank you, all of you, for everything you’ve done.”

Tang Mo gave a deep bow.

She would never, for the rest of her life, forget what they had done.

“Quick, get up! Get up! Ancestral Master, you honor me too greatly! Our entire Wuxi Village is only alive today because of you. I am unworthy of your thanks.”

The Sect Leader hurried to help Tang Mo up.

“You saved my life and Xianxian’s too.”

If it weren’t for Tang Mo, Lin Yu and Xianxian’s lives would have taken a very different path long ago. They wouldn’t have the warm, happy life and sense of belonging they did now.

“Momo, we are family.”

In his heart, Wen Jianshu had long considered Tang Mo his own daughter, holding a position as important as Yangyang’s.

Although he had hesitated when faced with the choice of using the hope of humanity to save Tang Mo, it was never because he thought of her as an outsider.

Wen Jianshu’s principles had always been thus. Even if it hadn’t been Tang Mo—even if it had been Yangyang, Lin Yi, or himself—his first instinct would have been to make the choice that saved the world.

Of course, the fact that he’d ultimately chosen differently was because his heart had overruled his head.

The group of them enveloped Tang Mo in a hug, welcoming her back.

The hug lasted only a few seconds, however, before Qin Ling peeled them away.

“Momo, you’ve just woken up. You must be tired. You should get some rest.”

“It’s fine, I’m not tired. Tell me about the fusion of the Five Beads.”

Tang Mo had been lying down for too long and had recovered for several days, so she was naturally full of energy.

She had been idle for far too long. The thing she was most concerned about was the fusion of the Five Beads.

“Are you sure you’re up for it? Don’t push yourself.”

Lin Yu was always the one with a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

“I’m fine,” Tang Mo said with a smile. Her condition was far better than that of the men standing before her, each of whom sported dark circles under their eyes.

The group then sat down, and they began to tell Tang Mo about the Five Beads fusion.

As it turned out, fusing the Five Beads was a much, much simpler task than saving Tang Mo.

The process just required sending Qin Ling’s Agility Pearl into Tang Mo’s sea of consciousness. She would then have to refine it one more time, allowing the fusion of the Five Beads to complete within her mind.

Tang Mo listened carefully and nodded.

Now that she had regained consciousness, she could accept Qin Ling’s energy without any resistance. For her, re-refining it to complete the fusion wouldn’t be difficult at all.

“Let’s start tomorrow.”

A smile still graced Tang Mo’s face. It seemed that ever since her return, she had been constantly happy—except for the tears she shed upon seeing Lin Yi.

Qin Ling watched Momo’s smile, slightly dazed.

‘My girl is so beautiful…’

“So soon?”

Everyone felt it was a bit too soon. Tang Mo had just returned, and it would be best for her to rest for a while.

“It’s fine. My energy has increased a bit, and everyone outside is waiting. Let’s not make them wait too long.”

“Okay.” Though they were a little worried, they had unconditional faith in Tang Mo.

If she said she’d gained a little energy and it was fine, then it must be fine.

They all knew Tang Mo wasn’t the type to overestimate her own strength.

It wasn’t until the leaderboards updated at midnight and they saw that Tang Mo’s attribute value had skyrocketed by several multiples that they realized just how humble she had been when she’d said her energy had only “increased a little.”

The matter was quickly settled, and Tang Mo returned to her own tent.

Jingjing’s soft, lifeless body was still lying on the blanket.

Tang Mo scooped up Jingjing’s body. She discovered that Jingjing, who had grown to be about the size of Zhima, had shrunk considerably. It was now even smaller than when she had first met it, looking like a tiny, snow-white fox cub.

Holding Jingjing’s body, Tang Mo released the golden Little Fox that was still frolicking in her sea of consciousness and infused its energy into Jingjing’s physical form.

This wouldn’t have been possible with an ordinary physical body, nor could the energy have returned to the body on its own.

But Jingjing’s body was itself composed of energy. With Tang Mo’s own bonded energy now acting as a medium, the process became straightforward.

At first, Tang Mo was only giving it a try, not expecting much. But to her surprise, it actually worked!

Soon, the little ball of fur in Tang Mo’s arms opened its eyes. It gave her that familiar, trusting, and affectionate look before nuzzling against her with all its might.

“Little one, thank you.”

Tang Mo hugged Jingjing.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I’ll help you grow big and strong again in no time.”

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