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The day the Demon Extermination Grounds opened was the last time Shi Luoyi saw Qingxuan.
By his side stood A’Yao. After over seven hundred years in the illusion, A’Yao had grown up and now bore the beginnings of a young woman’s form.
Seven centuries of training had transformed the Chifeng clan almost entirely. Once slaves who cowered in fear, they were now resolute warriors standing behind Qingxuan.
Qingxuan raised his eyes to look at Shi Luoyi and Bian Lingyu.
He had changed greatly. Gone was the delicate beauty that once made him appear ambiguously gendered. Now, no one would mistake Qingxuan for a woman.
Shi Luoyi still remembered that when she woke up in this lifetime, the first person she saw was him.
Back then, Qingxuan was her little junior sister. After spending a night frozen in the snow, the first warmth Shi Luoyi felt came from Qingxuan’s warm hand as he wiped the snowflakes from her eyelashes and cried in her arms.
At that time, even if Shi Luoyi had exhausted all her imagination, she could never have envisioned that her fragile junior sister would one day become a general of the divine race.
Qingxuan’s position was naturally opposed to hers. Though Shi Luoyi’s death in her previous life occurred in a ruined temple due to severe injuries, it was intrinsically tied to the sect master, Jiang Qi, and Qingxuan alike.
Shi Luoyi knew that after Qingxuan entered the Demon Extermination Grounds, he would be imprisoned there for eternity until every last drop of blood drained from his body.
Shi Luoyi had once been determined to defeat him, but before she could act, Qingxuan met an end far more tragic than anything she could have imagined.
He would vanish completely from her life.
Shi Huan stood beside Shi Luoyi, unaware of what his daughter had endured, but perhaps through their familial bond, he gently patted her shoulder.
Shi Luoyi looked up and smiled at her father.
Her smile was clean and bright, the warmest hue amidst the desolate Northern Realm.
Qingxuan only glanced at her briefly before withdrawing his gaze indifferently. He understood that now, the most important thing in Shi Luoyi’s life had returned—it was no longer the girl who, because of a flower left by her mother, had once been provoked to tears and fought with him.
For Shi Luoyi, only a year had passed, but for Qingxuan, it had been over three hundred years since he last saw her—and this would also be the final time in his life.
He averted his gaze and signaled Yuewu to hurry away.
Yuewu ran over from among the Chifeng clansmen. Qingxuan raised his hand, and the illusion behind him began to collapse. Without waiting for Bian Lingyu to act, he destroyed the divine artifact that had created the illusion.
He said to Bian Lingyu: “I’ll wait for you in the Demon Extermination Grounds.”
Qingxuan turned around, his strides long and purposeful, heading toward the Demon Extermination Grounds without looking back.
The Northern Realm was the only place in the divine realm that remained bitterly cold. The icy wind blew against his fiery red robes, and A’Yao hurried after him.
“Young Master, do you want to apologize to Sister?” She tilted her small face and asked softly.
She knew that for the sake of his clansmen, Qingxuan had done many terrible things to Shi Luoyi. In this life, they were destined to never cross paths again. If he apologized now, it might still be in time.
Some words, if not spoken now, would never have another chance.
Qingxuan’s crimson robes fluttered like flames across the bleak land of the Northern Realm. Walking ahead of the Chifeng clansmen, he let out a faint, derisive laugh after a long pause: “I’ve done nothing wrong—why should I apologize?”
Let her hate him forever.
He would rather she hated him more intensely or for longer, until the day he died in the Demon Extermination Grounds.
Perhaps by then, she would already be the Divine Empress for many years, with children by Bian Lingyu’s side. News of his death might bring a smile to her face.
When Xi Yao heard that Bian Lingyu was going to the Demon Extermination Grounds, she, who had long been numbed by her imprisonment in Tianxing Ravine, suddenly rushed to the edge of her cave. The chains binding her wrists rubbed them raw and bloody, startling the guards.
Since Su Li’s death, the Shuilin clan had fallen into decline. She hadn’t spoken for a long time, and now her voice was hoarse: “Is he going to retrieve the Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears? Ask him if he can still find the Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears!”
The guard was somewhat confused but ultimately relayed her words to Bian Lingyu.
Bian Lingyu indeed intended to search for the Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears—the remnants of his father’s soul after its dispersal—but he hadn’t expected to hear such questions come from Xi Yao’s lips one day.
The Demon Extermination Grounds were originally created by nearly the entire Qilin clan at the cost of near extinction. It absorbed all the world’s evil and malice, preventing the birth of demon gods and maintaining the balance of heaven and earth.
But every few thousand years, a god had to enter to eliminate and suppress the demonic energy.
The previous Divine Lord didn’t have to die, but his divine pearl had been taken by Xi Yao before he set out on his campaign. He used his last breath to purify the filth and demonic energy in the world, vanishing within the Demon Extermination Grounds.
Without a Divine Lord, the demons sealed by the ancestors grew restless, and due to Su Li’s foolishness and malice, they managed to escape to the mortal realm.
Perhaps on that day, when Xi Yao was trimming flowers in the temple, she hadn’t imagined that her once invincible husband wouldn’t return.
Upon hearing of his death, the Shuilin people rejoiced, and she thought she would be happy too, but she sat alone in the hall for an entire night.
She was free of her shackles, but from that day onward, no one treated her as kindly as he had. She became a tool for the Shuilin clan to consolidate power and a resource for Su Li’s ambitions.
No one would walk in from the cold night of the divine realm and embrace her in their arms.
Xi Yao still didn’t know what the Divine Lord thought about as he died in the Demon Extermination Grounds—whether he hated her or had stopped loving her.
Perhaps even now, Xi Yao didn’t dare to admit whom she truly loved.
The Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears were the final resting place of a god, the last remnant the previous Divine Lord left in the world.
Bian Lingyu wouldn’t give the Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears to Xi Yao, even if one day she couldn’t bear it and hanged herself. He wouldn’t bury her alongside his father.
Xi Yao didn’t know that when the Divine Lord handed the Heavenly Mandate Jade Tablet to Houmi, instructing him to take good care of Bian Lingyu and raise his child, he had already let her go.
Like all the predecessors of the Qilin clan who had died, he disappeared into the river of history, carrying his mission.
Perhaps it was the cycle of heavenly fate—when the Chifeng clan betrayed the gods long ago, it caused calamity upon all living beings. Now, entering the Demon Extermination Grounds to protect the six realms and prevent the rise of great demonic evils, the day they redeemed their ancestors’ sins would also be the day the curse was lifted.
Perhaps some would emerge, or perhaps they would remain trapped forever.
Before opening the Demon Extermination Grounds for the Chifeng clan, Bian Lingyu first sent Shi Luoyi, Shi Huan, and Yuewu back to the mortal realm.
Before becoming Bian Lingyu’s “little empress,” Shi Luoyi wanted to return home with her father first.
Bian Lingyu had no objections, and the ministers of the divine realm fully supported this: “It’s only right! It’s only right!”
They still owed the “little empress” a grand wedding banquet in the divine realm. Marrying from Buye Mountain would be perfect.
Though a cross-realm wedding sounded shocking, by now, the little empress’s cultivation had been nurtured by the Divine Lord over the past year, elevated to the point where she could ascend and live comfortably in the divine realm.
As for how her cultivation had been “nurtured” to such heights, Shi Luoyi preferred not to discuss the topic.
Before Shi Luoyi left, Bian Lingyu, clad in his battle armor, pulled her into his arms: “When I come to fetch you, I’ll have my past memories back.”
The effects of the Worry-Free Fruits would last a few more days, after which the Heavenly Mandate Jade Tablet could be opened to unseal his memories.
Shi Luoyi was also looking forward to that day. Though the current Bian Lingyu loved her deeply, she hoped that the cherished moments they had shared together wouldn’t remain solely within her own memory.
She gently touched her Divine Lord’s handsome face: “You must return safely and soon, Bian Lingyu.”
Three years had passed in the mortal realm by the time they returned to Buye Mountain. The day they arrived, the weather was clear and sunny, just at the end of spring.
Before Shi Luoyi had departed, she had sent away all the spirits and monsters from Buye Mountain. With the Hengwu Sect Master disgraced and on the run, Shi Luoyi had expected to find Buye Mountain overgrown with weeds upon her return.
To her surprise, though the ice lotuses on Buye Mountain had indeed withered due to the lack of spiritual nourishment, they were replaced by an abundance of wildflowers blooming across the mountain.
As she and Shi Huan stood at the foot of the mountain, a large bear-like monster came stomping forward, crushing petals beneath its feet.
Behind it, a yellow blur screeched in a high-pitched voice as it chased after: “That scholar is my husband, you wretched bear! If you don’t return him to me or dare harm him, I’ll fight you to the death!”
Monsters peeked out from the mountainside to watch the commotion.
“Go, fox! Run faster!” some cheered.
But how could the fox possibly catch up to the bear? This mischievous bear had been under house arrest, but its confinement naturally ended when Shi Luoyi left.
The fox, tears welling up in her eyes, cried out in frustration: “When Miss Luoyi returns, I’ll ask her to tear you apart limb by limb!”
At this remark, the entire Buye Mountain fell silent. Even the black bear, who had been teasing her, stopped in its tracks, its expression somber.
They all understood—Shi Luoyi and Shi Huan were trapped deep beneath the Wandering Sea, and they might never return.
The fox realized her mistake, lowering her head in sorrow even greater than when her husband had been taken. Large tears streamed down her face.
A gentle sigh sounded beside her, and a soft hand wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes: “Don’t cry. I’ll help you deal with him and bring your husband back, alright?”
The usually cunning fox looked up in a daze, staring blankly at the young girl before her.
Shi Luoyi’s golden skirt spread gracefully amidst the wildflowers, the wind of Buye Mountain lifting her long flowing ribbons.
Behind her, Daojun smiled warmly at them.
The fox burst into tears and leapt into Shi Luoyi’s arms. Her true form was small and compact, and Shi Luoyi laughed as she caught her.
The spirits and monsters cheered and rushed to spread the news: “Daojun has returned! Miss Luoyi has returned!”
Even A’Xiu, who had been cooking in the kitchen, dropped her spatula in delight and lifted her skirts to run down the mountain upon hearing the news.
Summer was approaching in the mortal realm, and Buye Mountain brimmed with vitality. Three years ago, the spirits had been forced to leave, but Buye Mountain had become their home. No matter how far they wandered, they always found their way back.
Now, as Shi Huan returned to this land and the mountain’s protective barrier was reestablished, their home was finally complete.
Two months later, the spirits who had been scattered began returning to Buye Mountain one by one. When Huixiang returned, carrying a basket on her arm, Shi Luoyi was speaking with Wei Changyuan.
They spoke of their experiences over the past three years.
Standing beneath the apricot tree of Buye Mountain, Wei Changyuan wore a jade crown and a long green robe. After the disappearance of the previous Hengwu Sect Master, Wei Changyuan had become the new master of the sect.
A grasshopper hopped past their feet. Shi Luoyi smiled faintly, and Wei Changyuan’s half-lowered eyes softened.
Huixiang felt as though she were seeing those two young children from long ago.
Back then, they would sit beneath the tree, eating pastries and complaining about the difficulties of their studies. Innocent and carefree, they were inseparable.
Now grown, they had gone their separate ways. Some had let go of the past, while others carried regrets, but the bond forged during those years remained, preserved in a different form.
Wei Changyuan didn’t stay long. As the new master of the Hengwu Sect, he had many responsibilities. After visiting his uncle and younger sister, he prepared to return to Mingyou Mountain.
Passing by Huixiang, he gave a slight nod.
“Miss Huixiang.”
Huixiang returned the gesture. She watched his retreating figure. Though he appeared calm, as if he had moved on, Wei Changyuan never remarried for the rest of his life.
Huixiang opened her basket: “Miss, look what I’ve brought back.”
Shi Luoyi leaned over to see—a basket filled with fragrant lotus leaves, with a small flower bud nestled in the center.
It was only May, and the lotus flowers had yet to bloom.
In recent days, Shi Huan had been busy planting ice lotuses in memory of his late wife, who had loved them. He had even dug a pond and planted lotus roots.
Shi Luoyi picked up the flower bud: “Let’s take this to A’Xiu.”
Yuewu had gone down the mountain to find Cangwu, while A’Xiu had been diligently practicing her cooking skills. She had saved up quite a bit of money and planned to open a small restaurant at the foot of the mountain soon.
Just the other day, she had mentioned missing her mother’s lotus leaf rice. Today, Shi Luoyi and Huixiang brought her the lotus leaves, much to A’Xiu’s delight.
After preparing the dish, she enthusiastically invited Shi Luoyi and Huixiang to taste it.
As a spirit with limited cultivation, Huixiang didn’t eat much mortal food. She only took a small bite before setting her chopsticks down. However, Shi Luoyi, savoring the fragrance of the lotus leaves, unconsciously ate two bowls.
Huixiang looked at her in astonishment: “Miss?”
“…I feel a bit hungry,” Shi Luoyi said.
Keep in mind, Shi Luoyi now possessed divine-level cultivation. Even during her immortal days, she hadn’t felt hunger. Why would she feel it now?
A’Xiu, being a straightforward mortal unfamiliar with the intricacies of cultivators, simply asked: “Would Miss Luoyi like another serving?”
Shi Luoyi glanced at her empty bowl, hesitated briefly, and nodded.
There was no helping it—she was genuinely hungry. But even after eating two bowls, it felt as though she hadn’t eaten at all.
No matter how much she ate, she couldn’t seem to feel full.
This abnormality was certainly no trivial matter, and even Shi Huan was alerted. He examined his daughter’s pulse but found nothing amiss. In the end, he fetched some spiritual fruits, which slightly alleviated her hunger.
“Could it be that gods can’t live comfortably in the mortal realm?” Huixiang speculated.
“It shouldn’t be that,” Shi Luoyi replied, biting into a spiritual fruit. She shook her head. After all, neither Qingxuan nor Bian Lingyu had ever complained of hunger.
She did have a bold suspicion, though. Shi Luoyi placed a hand on her flat abdomen.
The sensation was indescribable, almost mystical.
She had sensed it faintly a few days ago but dismissed it, thinking it impossible. The Qilin royal lineage had dwindled to just Bian Lingyu not only because gods were naturally low in desire but also because bearing offspring was exceedingly difficult.
As a cultivator, Shi Luoyi knew how to take her own pulse, but she found nothing unusual. However, in recent days, the sensation within her had grown stronger and stronger.
The little Qilin was incredibly well-behaved. Born as a divine being, it now lay newly conceived in her womb, requiring an endless supply of divine power to nurture its growth. Yet, perhaps it instinctively understood that its mother, like itself, also needed protection.
The person who could provide divine power to nourish both mother and child, allowing the little one to grow healthily, was still unaware of its existence.
She gently stroked the tiny life within her and smiled softly.
By the time Bian Lingyu returned, he would already have regained his memories. She wondered what expression he would wear when she revealed this immense surprise to him.
In mid-May, Buye Mountain experienced its heaviest rainfall. The lotus leaves unfurled fully, pattering under the raindrops.
The lotus flowers, which should have bloomed in June, suddenly burst into full bloom all at once.
The spirits and monsters were astonished. The spiritual energy on Buye Mountain had never been so dense!
Even the trees that had withered and died began to sprout new branches and buds. Unaware of these heavenly changes, Shi Luoyi remained asleep during her midday nap.
Unable to directly channel divine power to the little godling in her belly, she could only eat spiritual fruits and rest more.
A golden glow gradually solidified in the room, and a silver-robed Divine Lord appeared by her side.
She slept soundly, her head resting on her arm.
Bian Lingyu’s silver eyes lingered on her, unable to tear away for a long while. Before coming here, he had already unlocked the Heavenly Mandate Jade Tablet and recovered his memories.
When he realized that after Shi Luoyi had fallen into slumber beneath the Wandering Sea, he had allowed Qingxuan to take her away—he was overwhelmed with shock and anguish. A surge of blood rose to his throat, and he nearly coughed up a mouthful.
Long ago, he had never imagined claiming Shi Luoyi as his own.
After falling into the mortal realm, he had endured years of loneliness, feigning cold indifference as he watched her chase after others. He had tried to ignore it, believing that out of sight meant out of mind.
If she didn’t provoke him, they could coexist peacefully, maintaining the facade of mutual disdain.
But deep down, he knew that if one day she were to extend her hand to him, he would never let go of her, nor allow anyone else to take her away.
Had she still loved her senior brother back then, he would eventually have succumbed to his jealousy and killed Wei Changyuan.
Thus, at that time, Bian Lingyu had hoped she would never willingly seek him out.
If she didn’t provoke him, he could endure letting her love someone else.
Bian Lingyu sat by the bedside, gazing at Shi Luoyi for a long while. Only he knew just how deeply he had silently cherished this person over the years.
He sat beside her for quite some time. With his memories restored, his emotions were unstable, causing his divine power to fluctuate wildly. But fortunately, he still maintained control.
That divine power nourished everything on Buye Mountain, including the pitiful little being anxiously awaiting divine sustenance.
Bian Lingyu’s gaze had been fixed on Shi Luoyi’s face for a long while, but finally, he sensed something amiss. His eyes slowly drifted down to her abdomen.
The metallic tang of blood still lingered in his throat, but his mind went utterly blank for a moment.
What had been barely controllable now spiraled completely out of control. Outside the window, plants surged in wild growth, and the spiritual energy on Buye Mountain became so dense that taking a few breaths could increase one’s cultivation by decades!
Shi Luoyi opened her eyes just in time to catch the look on his face.
Bian Lingyu stared at her abdomen, his expression mirroring the one she had worn when she first declared she wanted to be his Dao companion.
She sighed, suppressing the upward curve of her lips, and asked Bian Lingyu: “I can’t raise it alone—can you handle it?”
Bian Lingyu’s voice was hoarse: “I’ll take care of it.”
She picked up a lotus flower that had bloomed under the influence of his divine power and tapped it lightly against his shoulder: “Then shouldn’t you hurry and take us home?”
He leaned down and embraced her. In Bian Lingyu’s arms, Shi Luoyi caught the familiar scent of divine blood.
The rain outside continued to fall ceaselessly. She suddenly recalled a distant memory—when she had thought Bian Lingyu had fed her poison in the darkness.
Little did she know, it had been a desperate, uncontainable love from a celestial being.
Shi Luoyi closed her eyes. The little godling in her belly had absorbed enough divine power. She suddenly saw flashes of the distant past—the parts she had never witnessed.
Bian Lingyu, frail and broken, had waited for her throughout his life.
It had been a summer like this one. For sixty years, she had refused to think of him, yet as a decrepit beast, he had walked into the ruined temple, picked her up with his teeth, and carried her lifeless body home.
But Shi Luoyi knew—this time, things would be different.
Honeysuckle flowers floated in through the window, landing on their shoulders and hair, like eternal vows, promising to grow old together.
[THE END]
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