#71: Wings

At the bottom of the Wandering Sea in the mortal realm, flowers bloomed and withered, marking another seasonal change.

Yuewu’s divine soul had solidified considerably. She gazed sorrowfully at the scene beneath the sea, preparing to leave this place.

Though she wasn’t exactly a good person by any absolute measure, over the years, Yuewu had benefited greatly from Yi Hao and Er Hao. To take their bodies now would be indefensible.

Yuewu fretted, tugging at her hair.

After days of deep contemplation, she devised a clever solution.

She planned to first use Yi Hao’s body to leave the Wandering Sea, find a suitable lifeless body on the outside, and then return Yi Hao’s body afterward.

Silently, she praised her own ingenuity.

Deciding to act immediately, on this sunny day, she merged her life soul into Shi Huan’s body and climbed ashore.

Time was cruel; beneath the sea, time seemed irrelevant. Yuewu hadn’t seen the sights of the mortal world for nearly a thousand years. Now, seeing the blazing sun and the endless yellow sands stretching to the horizon, Yuewu was so moved she almost cried!

Spreading her arms wide, she ran toward the sands, howling joyfully. But after just a few steps, she spotted a figure dressed in red atop a hill. One leg bent, the other dangling naturally, he squinted at her: “Shi Huan?”

If the April sun was fervent, the man before her was far more intense.

Yuewu had seen many people wear red, but never anyone who carried it off so strikingly and commandingly. His sharp brows and eyes resembled an unsheathed blade, his eyelids slightly upturned, exuding a hint of audacious arrogance.

Upon hearing him call her Shi Huan, Yuewu was surprised. She hadn’t expected anyone to be around this desolate place, let alone someone familiar with this body upon her arrival.

Shi Huan’s talent was exceptional, and Yuewu’s cultivation was not low either. She possessed most of the foolish dog’s former power. Therefore, sensing immediate danger upon seeing this man, her hairs stood on end.

Yuewu turned to flee.

But it was too late. She hadn’t taken two steps when a jade flute pressed against her neck.

The man behind her sneered: “Oh, not Shi Huan, but a wandering soul possessing Shi Huan’s body.”

“…” Damn it, how sharp were his eyes? Yuewu was frantic. How unlucky could she get, caught on her first day ashore by someone of such formidable cultivation that escape was impossible! Had a thousand years of soul consolidation really rendered cultivators in the mortal realm this powerful?

She quickly explained: “I mean no harm, nor did I intentionally possess this body. As soon as I find a suitable body, I’ll return it, I promise!”

Yuewu spoke sincerely, fearing that the slightest tremor of the hand behind her might pierce her through.

To her surprise, after her explanation, the man behind her coldly chuckled: “What does it matter to me?”

“Eh?” So he wasn’t here out of indignation for Shi Huan?

Yuewu muttered softly: “If it doesn’t concern you, why seize me?”

“The other person beneath the sea—how is she?”

Yuewu realized he was talking about Er Hao. This man looked extremely dangerous, even less trustworthy than herself. She cautiously asked: “…That is, do you wish her well or ill?”

Her soul throbbed painfully, and she yelped: “Don’t move, let’s talk calmly. She’s fine, still gathering souls, and has already formed some scattered soul essence!”

The jade flute retracted. He had waited here for a long time, not daring to disturb the barrier. He could only wait until Bian Lingyu was preoccupied fusing his divine soul. A year had passed, and if he guessed correctly, Bian Lingyu’s fusion of divine soul and original body would occur within these few days.

Unexpectedly, he encountered an additional stroke of luck. With Yuewu leading the way, entering the Wandering Sea became much simpler.

Not only did Yuewu fail to escape, but she was also forcibly brought back to the seabed by the youth. Damn it, she had been ashore for only a quarter of an hour!

With a bitter face, she pointed to Er Hao in the array: “There she is, I’m not lying.”

Yuewu felt a bit nervous. She wasn’t sure whether the newcomer was friend or foe. Both were unconscious, and she couldn’t fight.

The red-clad youth released her and stepped into the array.

Yuewu was tense, unsure of his intentions.

The youth gazed down at the sleeping Shi Luoyi for a while.

His gaze felt oddly familiar to Yuewu: “Surely not—you’re going to touch her too?”

Qing Xuan raised his eyes, coldly glaring at her: “Do you want to die?”

Yuewu instantly shut up, sensing a subtle anger, though it wasn’t very obvious.

She sympathetically glanced at Shi Luoyi, pitying Er Hao, whose life was even harder than hers. These days, being beautiful truly meant a tumultuous fate.

The youth sneered but thankfully didn’t actually touch Er Hao.

He circled the array and shortly after, Yuewu finally understood what he was doing—he took out the divine pearl suppressing the array.

“…” Fine, he was a despicable man. He didn’t love Er Hao; he wanted her life.

Without the divine pearl, Shi Luoyi could no longer gather her soul, and the barrier at the seabed silently dissipated. Yuewu regretted deeply. If only she hadn’t left the sea! Beneath the sea, protected by that man’s barrier, it was safe. The red-clad youth had been lying in wait, clearly unable to enter easily before.

Now, Yuewu had become the breach in the seabed barrier, harming both Yi Hao and Er Hao, as well as herself.

Qing Xuan pocketed the divine pearl and then bent to lift Shi Luoyi.

Without looking back, he coldly ordered Yuewu: “Follow.”

Yuewu didn’t want to follow; she sought an opportunity to escape. This youth had sharp eyes and a ruthless heart.

Though she didn’t know what he wanted with the divine pearl and Er Hao, it surely wasn’t anything good.

She was terrified, wondering what would happen if the Forgetfulness Fruit’s effects wore off and the previous man returned to the seabed, failing to find Shi Luoyi. Would he go mad?

Naturally, Yuewu didn’t escape.

She was already a half-divine body, and Shi Huan’s body was also half-divine. But she never imagined that the red-clad youth would bring her back to the divine realm.

Yuewu and Shi Huan originally didn’t belong to the divine realm. Upon arriving, her soul was forcibly expelled, and she collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.

Under the oppressive might of the divine realm, her presence here was an affront to the heavens.

Yuewu was both angry and powerless. Just a little more, and she could have gone to the mortal realm to find the foolish dog. What kind of situation was this? Could it be that Heaven disapproved of her past lies, truly bringing her to the divine realm?

Making the best of it, seeing her life in peril, Yuewu lost all spirit.

She lifted her eyes to gaze at the divine realm, finding it vastly different from what she had imagined.

A pure white expanse met her eyes, brimming with spiritual energy, yet utterly barren, with crude dwellings.

Even as a soul, she could feel the bone-chilling cold seeping into her very essence, like constant whipping.

Yuewu furrowed her brow in discomfort, glancing at the red-clad youth, who showed no reaction, as if accustomed to it.

A group of people approached, dressed simply, bearing black marks on their necks.

“Young Master!”

“Young Master Qing Xuan has returned!”

Among those who came to greet him was even a girl of braided age. Everyone looked up to and respected the red-clad youth. He held Shi Luoyi, smiling at the welcoming clansmen: “How have things been during my absence these past days?”

“Zhong Hao is still cursing you outside the northern region. The other day, he launched an attack. You weren’t here, so we followed your orders, letting the Shuilin clan fight. We barely managed to hold them off.”

Qing Xuan said: “Good job.”

The Chifan clansmen looked puzzled at the girl in Qing Xuan’s arms: “Young Master, is this the last hope you mentioned earlier for our clan?”

Qing Xuan lowered his eyes to look at the girl in his arms: “Yes.”

Everyone exchanged glances, not because they doubted, but because anyone could see that the one in the young master’s arms was obviously just a minor cultivator, without even the qualifications to enter the divine realm.

How could she turn the current situation around?

When the princess bore Qing Xuan, the grand priest prophesied that the young master would enable the entire clan to shed their slave marks and escape the ancient divine punishment. They had eagerly awaited the young master’s coming of age.

Over the years, they endured even the toughest times because they knew their young master had it harder.

Born male, he chose to become female for their sake, attempting to become the Empress. For this, he even descended with the young God Emperor to slay fallen demons.

While he fought fiercely outside, they failed to protect his original body. Fortunately, before Lingyu returned, a maid had stolen back Qing Xuan’s original body.

The clansmen could hardly forget how their young master finally returned, victorious in battle, but turned pale upon reuniting with his original body.

The Chifan clan could choose their gender after coming of age, except in one case: if they fell in love before choosing to become female, they would lose that choice forever.

For eleven years in Weak Water, Qing Xuan’s original body remained frozen in time, leaving him no choice.

Qing Xuan was silent for a long while, closing his eyes under the gazes of all present, and hoarsely said: “I’m sorry.”

No one blamed him, nor did anyone dare ask who the person the young master had fallen in love with was.

If not for them being such a heavy burden, with Qing Xuan’s talent and decisiveness, he could have walked a much brighter path.

But despair surged in everyone’s hearts—Qing Xuan couldn’t become the Empress, Xi Yao was imprisoned in Tianxing Ravine, and the Chifan clan’s suffering would only deepen, never seeing the light of day.

That day, Qing Xuan gazed at the desolate northern region and suddenly said coldly: “There is one last method.”

He caressed a jade bottle, collected from Su Li, containing the power of Lingyu’s severed tail from his childhood.

Su Li couldn’t harness it, but Qing Xuan could.

He spent a year strengthening this remaining power, allowing him to forcibly open the celestial gates and descend once more.

Qing Xuan raised his eyes, looking at the numb gazes of his clansmen, and said: “I will not fail again.”

Everyone clung to this hope, waiting for him to return. They didn’t know what Qing Xuan had experienced in the mortal realm over the years, but believing in Qing Xuan had almost become their faith.

Inside the divine hall, Bian Lingyu, who had been fusing his divine soul in the inner chamber, abruptly opened his eyes.

The fusion process lasted seven days, and today was the fifth.

Houmi and the seven grand priests saw that Bian Lingyu was about to successfully fuse the divine soul harmed by the former Empress and hurriedly said: “My Lord, the ritual must not be interrupted!”

“No matter what happens, you’ve repaired your divine soul for so long. Success is within reach in these few days. Please endure for two more days.”

“After the fusion, your wings will regrow, and your divine power will fully recover. My Lord, please reconsider!”

Beads of sweat formed on Houmi’s forehead as he nervously looked at Bian Lingyu.

In the center of the array, Bian Lingyu furrowed his brows.

Bian Lingyu sensed that the barrier he set up in the Wandering Sea had been broken, but the fusion was nearly complete, with only two days left.

For over a thousand years, he had never been a complete divine body. Now, he was about to reclaim everything he lost—even his wings might regrow—but the person he touched painfully at the bottom of the Wandering Sea appeared before his eyes.

He pressed his lips together, his brows tightly knitted.

Without the barrier, she might be taken away by someone else.

Even under the influence of the Forgetfulness Fruit, anger and murderous intent arose within him.

A grand priest was nearly fainting with anxiety: “My Lord, just two more days remain. You mustn’t let your efforts go to waste!”

They heard that when Qing Xuan of the Chifan clan, whose divine soul and original body were intact, fused them, it took ten full days with the entire clan guarding him step by step to ensure a complete fusion.

Bian Lingyu’s divine soul had been shattered by the former Empress and confined for years. It took over a year to repair it. At this critical moment, how could Bian Lingyu want to leave the array!

Bian Lingyu silently observed their anxious expressions. He naturally understood how crucial this moment was. He had always been unable to clearly see that woman’s face; those memories felt like someone else’s.

Bian Lingyu also knew something was amiss, but this state brought no pain. His nature was aloof, so he hadn’t delved deeper.

Over the past year, he had seldom visited her. Logically, he should wait out these two days before checking the situation in the Wandering Sea. But in the end, he slowly stood up.

Bian Lingyu pressed his chest, the hollow place in his heart urging him to walk out of the array and keep her there.

That voice whispered: You didn’t get her soul lamp, do you really want to lose her body too?

The other grand priests could no longer hold back and shouted: “Houmi, what are you waiting for! We must use the previous God Emperor’s Destiny Jade to seal this memory of the young God Emperor. He cannot go to the Wandering Sea now!”

Houmi gritted his teeth and summoned a golden Destiny Jade plaque.

This was an heirloom passed down through generations of the Qilin clan. In ancient times, Crown Prince Huan Qi of the Qilin clan couldn’t forget the Phoenix Maiden, even though she loved the Demon King. He wanted to wait for her all his life.

However, the bloodline of the ancient gods was gradually fading. Whether for the greater good or to ensure someone would guard the world in the future, the clan eventually chose to create the Destiny Jade plaque to seal the young prince’s memories.

Prince Huan Qi shed tears as he sealed his memories, leading to the birth of descendants. Later, the Destiny Jade plaque was passed down through generations until it reached the previous God Emperor, who wanted to sever ties with Xi Yao but was already too late. On his deathbed, he entrusted the Destiny Jade plaque to Houmi, instructing: “Our clan has guarded the world for ten thousand years. If my son ever encounters misfortune in love and willingly forgets that memory, the Destiny Jade plaque can help you seal it. Don’t let Lingyu follow in my footsteps. Take good care of him.”

Though the current situation was different, with the fusion imminent, they absolutely couldn’t allow Bian Lingyu’s divine body to remain incomplete.

Bian Lingyu first had to be a god, possessing the power to protect the six realms. Otherwise, when the next wave of fallen demons arrived, if Bian Lingyu hadn’t produced offspring capable of resisting them or didn’t have enough divine power to slay demons, it would spell disaster for the six realms, and he might perish.

Under the glow of the Destiny Jade plaque, the ancient laws bound him. Just as Bian Lingyu reached the edge of the array, he was forcibly restrained, the laws descending upon him like punishing heavenly thunder. He tightly clenched his lips, raising his hand, silver cold light gathering in his palm, attempting to crush the Destiny Jade plaque.

Houmi pleaded: “My Lord… please don’t do this. The Destiny Jade plaque will harm you…”

Fusion was already Bian Lingyu’s most vulnerable time. The other grand priests worked together, infusing divine power into the Destiny Jade plaque. Even Houmi had to act, though he ultimately showed mercy by not completely sealing that memory—it was something his young lord wouldn’t want to do.

The eight eldest deities of the divine realm acted together. Blood surged in Bian Lingyu’s throat; five days of fusion had drained his divine power, and he finally closed his eyes.

Outside the array, a vast expanse of white stretched out. Bian Lingyu was only a step away from the array’s boundary.

Houmi and the others all breathed sighs of relief.

Silver, holy wings grew from Bian Lingyu’s back, beautiful and dazzling. The bone spurs slowly concealed beneath the wings, shimmering like flowing silver.

Twelve severed tails and burning celestial fire had once left Bian Lingyu battered and unrecognizable as a proud little Qilin. Now, these things were slowly returning.

Houmi stepped forward to support Bian Lingyu, sighing: “Forgive us old ones for taking advantage of your vulnerability, my Lord. From now on, no one in the world can harm you. Your life has been bitter. If fate allows, you will meet again.”

Houmi thought, if she truly wakes up, she won’t be a bad woman like Xi Yao, who only sought to harm and steal your divine power. Then, Houmi, along with the grand priests, would personally apologize to her.

But who could predict the twists of fate? Houmi felt that the God Emperor had nearly gone mad nurturing her this year, yet the girl still showed no signs of waking. Perhaps she would never awaken.