#69: Reconstruction

On that day, the blood of the gods dyed the divine hall red. The "Shuilin" clan, who had controlled the divine realm for hundreds of years under the Empress, now fled in defeat to the northern territories.

The northern region was the most desolate part of the divine realm and had long been the domain of Zhong Hao Zhen, Lord Hua Jun, Lingyu’s uncle.

Speaking of this Zhong Hao, he was quite a character.

As the Empress Xi Yao's younger brother, he was adept at assessing situations. Zhong Hao was cunning, deceitful, indulgent, decisive, and ruthless.

When Xi Yao reigned, Zhong Hao was flexible, groveling so low he might as well have served as a footstool for his elder sister Xi Yao.

During the eleven years Lingyu fell into the mortal world, to please the Empress's beloved nephew Su Li, Zhong Hao even personally seized the original body of his illegitimate child Qing Xuan from the north and presented it to Su Li.

Despite Qing Xuan’s dubious origins, his talent was extraordinary.

Upon receiving the body, Su Li was overjoyed and repeatedly begged the Empress to immediately replace his bones with Qing Xuan’s. The Empress hesitated, her brows furrowed, but Zhong Hao quickly interjected: “It is Qing Xuan’s fortune that Li’er has taken a liking to his bones. Sister need not hesitate; after all, Qing Xuan will never return.”

The Empress cast a complicated glance at Zhong Hao: “I will compensate you.”

The Empress personally inspected the body. She knew her brother had countless children—several with official status and an uncountable number without. Qing Xuan was likely Zhong Hao’s best offspring, but unfortunately had a mother who couldn’t see the light of day. The Empress’s gaze grew cold as she noted the body had just reached adulthood. She knew this was sinful.

But throughout her life, her love for her youngest son had driven her mad. Su Li was her obsession, the proof of her unwavering resolve. In the end, she decided to replace Su Li’s bones.

However, Qing Xuan’s bones were so exceptional that Su Li couldn’t fully assimilate them right away, preventing optimal results.

At this point, Zhong Hao suggested another plan: “Why not soak him in Weak Water for fifty to sixty years? By the time Li’er’s bones are strengthened, this body’s bones can be assimilated.”

With the father himself suggesting this, neither the Empress nor Su Li opposed.

When Zhong Hao left the divine palace, he received countless treasures of the divine realm and even a new fief.

Upon learning that Zhong Hao had traded his own child’s body for favor, everyone in the divine realm looked down on him. Yet Zhong Hao smiled, completely unfazed.

Such was Zhong Hao.

Everyone thought he was loyal to Xi Yao, but on the day Lingyu returned to the divine realm, he was the first to open the palace gates, personally welcoming Lingyu and Hou Mi back.

He even ordered his guards in the divine realm to lay down their weapons and submit to Lingyu’s command.

Without this, Lingyu wouldn’t have easily stormed the palace.

On the day Xi Yao was dragged away, she passed through the palace gates. Zhong Hao adjusted his robes, smiling as he watched his sister being dragged off to Tianxing Ravine for punishment.

He remained as respectfully courteous as ever: “Dear elder sister, take care in Tianxing Ravine. When you have time, your younger brother will visit you.”

Xi Yao, disheveled and filled with hatred, glared at him—the sole betrayer of their clan. It was he and Lingyu, that wretch, who had killed her Su Li.

Zhong Hao met her hateful gaze: “Elder sister, you cannot blame me. You and our clan were too foolish. Your life was blessed—when the God Emperor lived, he cherished you like a treasure, yet you foolishly entangled yourself with lowly slaves. If you had properly served as Empress, our clan would have lacked nothing.”

“As for our clan, they foolishly believed they could control the divine realm forever. That little Qilin you bore—you personally destroyed its wings and stripped its power. But do you know why we are called divine beings and not gods? Only one person in the entire divine realm can be called a god. A single word makes all the difference. This sole ancient lineage has now grown up—how could you naively think you could continue to bully him?”

With that, he cheerfully knelt before the new God Emperor.

For trivial matters, Zhong Hao was obsequious, but he never participated in major affairs concerning dealing with Lingyu, thus preserving himself.

Even someone as upright and virtuous as Hou Mi could only disdain Zhong Hao’s personal affairs but couldn’t deny his contributions this time.

However, the entire "Shuilin" clan fleeing to Zhong Hao’s northern territory gave him a headache.

Upon hearing this news, Zhong Hao broke out in cold sweat and immediately went to the divine palace to plead guilty.

Seeing him come, Hou Mi and the others couldn’t help but feel a bit gleeful.

Zhong Hao knelt down with a thud, looking up at the figure on the throne. He felt extremely guilty. Lingyu, clad in silver-white robes, glanced at him.

Zhong Hao grimaced, inwardly cursing: “My Lord, hear my explanation. Though vast, the north is barren—a place I’ve never even visited! Long ago, it was used to exile my rebellious sons and disobedient subordinates. Ordering the northern gates opened to welcome the Shuilin clan wasn’t my doing…”

“So, who is the current master of the north?”

Zhong Hao’s face contorted for a moment: “That rebellious son of mine, Qing Xuan… or should I say, rebellious daughter?”

By the end, Zhong Hao stumbled, unsure whether this child was male or female. He only knew Qing Xuan was the child of Princess Chifan. The Chifan clan allowed choosing gender upon adulthood, but when he seized Qing Xuan’s body, the child had just chosen to become female and hadn’t yet begun the transformation.

Whether son or daughter, Zhong Hao didn’t know.

Hearing this, Lingyu showed no reaction: “Will you lead the troops to punish them, or shall I?”

“… Please give me a chance to redeem myself. I will surely bring that rebellious child to apologize to you.” Zhong Hao inwardly cursed; there was no other way. Qing Xuan was his child, and those who fled were his clansmen! He never imagined Qing Xuan would dare accept the Shuilin clan while the entire divine realm shunned them.

Thinking about the plight of the Chifan clan, Zhong Hao realized the barefoot feared nothing compared to the shoed. Anything Qing Xuan did was unsurprising.

The divine realm awaited reconstruction. Hearing his voluntary offer, Lingyu indifferently said: “Very well.”

Zhong Hao was furious inside but still ingratiated himself: “My Lord, that rebellious child’s body is still in Su Li’s palace.”

Lingyu glanced at him: “Do you think Qing Xuan would leave her body there for you to retrieve?”

Hou Mi coolly remarked: “Lord Zhong Hao, that body has already been taken.”

Since ancient times, the Chifan clan had rebelled against the gods, wreaking havoc on all beings, becoming the lowest existence in the divine realm.

Generation after generation, they were punished and exiled to the borders of the divine realm, serving as slaves.

The God Emperor devoted all his efforts to sealing away the fallen demons. Over many years, the Chifan bloodline became mixed, and these covert matters were inscrutable to anyone.

Even Su Li’s mansion had Chifan maidservants.

On the day Lingyu returned, Chifan clansmen secretly stole Qing Xuan’s body—it was, after all, the hope of the Chifan clan.

“…” Zhong Hao felt a pang of pain.

Rebellious child!

He had never liked Qing Xuan. That child had always been wild, cunning, and ruthless, not much different from himself. Born from a Chifan maid, the child’s talent surpassed even his own.

No matter how hard he tried to hide it, it was perplexing.

Lingyu had only two words for Zhong Hao: “Leave.”

Zhong Hao promptly scurried away.

Lord Hou Mi also remembered Qing Xuan. The elder felt somewhat embarrassed: eleven years ago, Qing Xuan had been one of the divine consorts he had selected for the young lord.

At that time, Qing Xuan concealed her origins, and no one knew she was a descendant of the Chifan clan. Seeing her beauty and extraordinary talent, Hou Mi envisioned a smaller, more powerful Qilin lord being born from her.

He hoped such a radiant woman could brighten the morose Lingyu.

Never did he expect she would now become a rebel, daring to open the northern gates to accept the Shuilin clan.

Lord Hou Mi was worried and regretful: “Can Lord Zhong Hao really defeat Qing Xuan?”

Lingyu said: “He cannot.”

“…” Then why did you let him go?

Lingyu indifferently replied: “To teach him a lesson.”

Zhong Hao had just performed meritorious service, so punishing him directly wouldn’t be appropriate. Being beaten by his own child was perhaps the best resolution.

Besides, for hundreds of years, his father god had suffered severe injuries leading to his demise, and Xi Yao had made a mess of many things. Lingyu still had much to handle.

After a year or two, when Zhong Hao was beaten black and blue, and matters in the divine realm were mostly settled, Lingyu would personally go to the north.

Hou Mi nodded repeatedly.

These days were the happiest for Lord Houmi in a thousand years. Lingyu had grown up, and he was truly rebuilding the divine realm like the successive God Emperors.

The divine realm knew no night, forever bathed in light and day.

Half of Lingyu’s time was spent mending his divine soul—the Empress had shattered it that day, but fortunately, Houmi had managed to retrieve it. Now, it needed to be repaired before fusing back into his original body.

Most of the time during the repair, Lingyu was in deep slumber.

While Su Li had writhed in pain from his shattered soul, Lingyu slept as if in peaceful repose.

When he awoke, he would begin handling the affairs of the divine realm.

Day by day passed, until one day, Houmi didn’t find the God Emperor in the divine hall.

Houmi found Lingyu at the Demon Pool.

The Demon Pool absorbed the demonic energy from both the mortal world and the divine realm, sealing away many demons. It was also the path connecting the divine realm to the mortal world.

Lingyu stood before the Demon Pool, gazing at it, lost in thought.

Since returning from the mortal realm, he had become like a true inheritor of the gods, diligently carrying on the mission passed down through countless generations. Sealing away demonic energy, purifying the divine realm—there was no longer any need for Houmi to worry over him as he had in his youth.

For so long, this was the first time Houmi had seen such an expression on his face.

Lingyu looked bewildered, staring blankly at the pool. He resembled how he had appeared over three hundred years ago when he returned from Tianxing Ravine—a sight that made one’s heart ache with just a glance.

“What is Your Majesty looking at?”

Lingyu suddenly said: “I think I once had a wife in the mortal realm.”

“…!” Houmi almost fell headfirst into the Demon Pool, its violet mist swirling around him. “You... you... you what?!”

Lingyu glanced at him and said nothing more.

Houmi understood that the God Emperor’s nature was solitary and cold; most God Emperors throughout history shared similar temperaments. That one glance clearly conveyed: You’re not deaf, so I won’t repeat myself.

Houmi wasn’t deaf. Mortals lived and died, but gods did not. Over millennia, if their power waned, they might appear aged, but death only came to prevent demons from wreaking havoc on all beings.

Houmi couldn’t remember how long he had lived. When the previous God Emperor ascended, he began assisting him, and time had since become like sand slipping through his fingers.

Deeply alarmed, Houmi stammered: “Ah… and where is your wife now?”

The Qilin clan had always been restrained in desire yet deeply affectionate.

Having personally witnessed the tragedy and obsession of the previous God Emperor, Houmi was now like a frightened bird, terrified of another Empress emerging.

After a long silence, Lingyu finally spoke: “At the bottom of the Wandering Sea.”

“…” Oh, dead. Seeing him speak of this with neither sorrow nor joy, only a cold gaze toward the Demon Pool, Houmi let out a long sigh of relief.

This tone—it seemed indifferent?

When his young lord descended to the mortal realm, he had been as naive about love as a child. Perhaps some cunning woman, coveting his beauty, had tricked him into marriage.

“You hold no feelings for her in your heart, do you?” Houmi asked.

Lingyu replied: “I don’t know.”

Those memories were like scenes shrouded in mist. He vaguely recalled spending time with her, but whenever he tried to recall those feelings, even the images grew blurry.

That day, his divine soul still unrepaired, he suddenly felt the empty space in his heart grow larger. Unconsciously, he walked to the Demon Pool. Lingyu knew the other end led to the Wandering Sea, and for a moment, he wanted to descend and see.

But if the God Emperor descended, he would inevitably bring along some demonic energy from the pool. The inheritance engraved in his bones forbade him from doing so. He stood there for a long time, trying to recall her, to remember those memories, but found the shadow in his mind growing fainter.

It was as if the more he tried to think of her, the faster those feelings disappeared.

Lingyu raised his hand, covering his heart. The pain that had just surfaced vanished instantly. His lips paled, leaving him somewhat confused.

The fierce winds howled. Houmi tensed: “All those things are in the past. Your Majesty has yet to repair your divine soul today, and the demonic energy here runs rampant. Please return.”

“I want to go down and take a look.”

“Cough, cough… wha-what are you planning to do?” Before Houmi could finish, Lingyu entered the Demon Pool.

In an instant, Lingyu’s figure disappeared.

It was already February in the mortal realm, and half a year had passed since Shi Luoyi sank into the Wandering Sea.

The depths of the Wandering Sea remained desolate and cold.

Yuewu resignedly moved two unconscious bodies to absorb divine energy.

Apart from the scattered remains littering the seabed, there was nothing else. Half of these remains belonged to gods, the other half to demons.

Yuewu had lost count of how long she had been at the bottom of the sea.

Day after day, she was so bored she felt mushrooms sprouting. One day, she discovered that some of the godly remains still contained traces of spiritual energy. Suddenly enlightened, she began greedily absorbing that energy!

Over time, her scattered soul slowly solidified.

Thus, Yuewu embarked on a routine: clearing demon corpses during the day and gathering souls to absorb divine energy at night.

She had always been alone until eleven years ago, when a fellow cultivator sank to the seabed.

This cultivator, with a shattered divine soul and appearing middle-aged, was nonetheless strikingly handsome. It was none other than Shi Huan.

From that day onward, a mysterious soul-gathering array suddenly appeared on the seabed!

“…!” Yuewu nearly wept with joy. How could such a boon exist at the bottom of the sea?

She guessed it was the good fortune brought by this sunken cultivator, so every day when she went out to absorb spiritual energy, she carried Shi Huan along to share in the absorption.

Her intentions weren’t entirely pure: “If you wake up, I’m screwed, but if you don’t, your body is mine. Though you’re older and male, what choice do I have? That stupid dog has probably waited for me for who knows how many years…”

Six months ago, the sea churned.

Before Yuewu could react, a second "possession backup" fell. Before she could move, the previously unconscious middle-aged cultivator suddenly emitted white light, enveloping the fallen girl.

Though still in slumber, Shi Huan silently protected his daughter.

Yuewu peered closer, shocked by the girl’s beauty: “Holy crap! She’s gorgeous!”

But this girl lay quietly, worse off than the first, without even a trace of a scattered soul.

Yuewu stared at Shi Huan in shock. Even the dead were captivated by her beauty, unconsciously protecting her despite being unaware?

Regardless, absorbing spiritual energy now involved three people.

Six months passed, and Yuewu took good care of the girl.

Her second body was too beautiful and youthful! What a steal!

She calculated that in about six more months, her divine soul would be fully restored. By then… heh!

Who knew today, the seawater suddenly surged. Yuewu thought: Could it be? Is number three arriving?

Yuewu eagerly ran to take a look, only to collide with what felt like a barrier and was flung back.

“What is this?”

When she turned around, she saw a clear, jade-like orb of light transform into a hand.

That glow hesitantly, awkwardly touched the face of Shi Luoyi within the array.

He appeared uncertain and inexperienced.

Upon touching Shi Luoyi, it was as if excruciating pain struck, causing the light to tremble violently. Yuewu’s eyes widened. Even though she couldn’t discern the form of the glow, she could tell he was in immense pain. Stammering, she addressed the glow: “Hey, maybe stop touching her. If you don’t touch her, you won’t feel pain.”

But the glow didn’t withdraw. Trembling as if about to dissipate, the seawater churned violently, yet he still inch by inch touched Shi Luoyi’s brows and eyes.

Shi Luoyi lay there, eyes closed, completely unaware. His pain intensified, and eventually, the glow forcibly dispersed.

February in the mortal realm was still cold, and the seawater finally calmed.

Yuewu was caught in the whirlpool, floating back after a while. She lay on the ground, finding this scene strangely familiar. Could it be the legendary Forgetfulness Fruit? After eating it, one forgets worries but dares to touch the past?

No one understood the Forgetfulness Fruit better than Yuewu. The domain where it grew had been guarded by her sect since ancient times, and the fruit was once a treasure of antiquity. She had known since childhood that consuming it increased cultivation by sixty cycles, but forcefully suppressed desires, akin to being stabbed by countless blades. Even gods would suffer agonizing deaths.

She confirmed that the second body held no poison—she moved it daily to absorb divine energy without issue. This person, trembling in pain upon contact, could it really be the Forgetfulness Fruit?

She couldn’t help but exclaim in shock: “…So lustful, enduring such pain without letting go, serves you right!”

She hurriedly checked her second body, hoping it hadn’t been damaged.

Shi Luoyi lay there, hands folded, sound asleep, completely unaware.

She didn’t know spring had arrived in the mortal realm, nor that the god she had personally fed the Forgetfulness Fruit to had obeyed her words to return home and live well.

Yet on this day, despite the excruciating pain akin to having his heart carved out, he still tried to touch her again.