“Given a thousand years, Lady Yue Mi would revive on her own. Why go to such lengths?” Zi Han’s voice trembled as he looked at Tian Qi’s back. After ten thousand years by his side, weathering countless trials and tribulations together, he could not bear to see his master throw away half of his divine power and life source for a mere fraction of time. True Gods possessed eternal life, yet losing half of one’s source would mean the inability to regain current strength, forfeiting the right to live as long as the heavens.
Tian Qi paused, glancing down at Yue Mi’s wisp in his palm for a long moment.
“Ah Han, even Yuan Qi understood that a thousand years is too long.”
In a way Zi Han couldn’t see, Tian Qi’s lips curled in a faint smile.
“Besides, those three carts of wine in my temple cellar have been waiting long enough.”
He stepped into the Tower of Soul Repose, leaving behind only a hint of green from his retreating figure.
From that day, Purple Moon Mountain returned to its former calm, guarded once again by a solitary (old) little (greedy) dragon. Three years later, the doors of the Tower of Soul Repose would open.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye for mortals. In that time, Bai Ruo attempted to escape the Marshal’s Mansion countless times, only to be retrieved from the most remote mountain corners by her general father. If not for the company of the Left Chancellor’s young son, Bai Ruo’s backside would have been sorely punished by now.
Both families grew weary of Bai Ruo and Chong Zhao’s obsession with seeking immortality, but, being the youngest children in each family, their antics were tolerated with only a few stern reprimands. Only Bai Xi’s gaze held a heavy, unshakable worry whenever she looked at her younger sister.
And so, the days went on with their usual mischief. As the day approached when Tian Qi would emerge from the Tower of Soul Repose, Zi Han thoroughly inspected the eight pieces of divine wood. Seeing the power stored in them, he left for the Celestial Realm to gather more treasures, confident that he would be back in time for Tian Qi’s return.
With Zi Han gone, the divine wood stood silently around the tower, vigilantly guarding the structure.
Outside the quiet Purple Moon Mountain, a white-robed figure sped across the sky atop an immortal sword. Trailing close behind was a massive sword with jagged teeth, slicing through the air. Just as the white figure neared the protective barrier around Purple Moon Mountain, the jagged sword paused, transforming into a net that cast itself over the figure.
In the instant the net caught the figure, a flash of red demon energy struck it, shattering the net back into the jagged sword, which tumbled downwards. A golden figure appeared in mid-air, catching the falling sword. Adorned with a crown of purple roses and stepping upon a cloud of multicolored light, it was none other than the Immortal Lord Jin Yao.
Now, he was to be addressed as Divine Lord Jin Yao. Jin Yao had once been the foremost immortal of the Twilight Era, leading the highest of the celestials in the Immortal Realm. When Feng Ran took the throne as Celestial Emperor, Jin Yao withdrew from the celestial world to focus on his cultivation. Centuries ago, when Feng Ran ascended, Jin Yao had just undergone a tribulation and transformed into a demigod. Feng Ran specifically invited him to oversee the celestial realm in his stead. Under Jin Yao’s governance, the Celestial Realm had flourished and thrived. But now, he stood furious, his usually gentle eyes filled with anger as he looked at the red and white figures in the distance, the authority in his gaze unmistakable.
“Fu Ling, come here! You’re coming back to the Celestial Realm with me!” Divine Lord Jin Yao’s gaze swept coldly over the figure in red before softening as it rested on the white-robed woman.
The woman in white shook her head, a spirit-laden arrow emitting demonic energy strapped to her back. Her clear, beautiful face showed no sign of hesitation. “Father, I have made my decision. I will follow Divine Lord Zhen Yu to Cold Spring Palace.”
The young man in red beside her had sharp brows and a youthful air about him, a hint of insolence in his expression. Who would have thought that the mysterious and powerful lord of Cold Spring Palace in the demon realm was, in fact, a carefree youth dressed in red?
“You insolent child!” Divine Lord Jin Yao was incensed. “You are of the celestial race, my daughter. What business do you have in the demon realm?”
“Celestial race?” Fu Ling’s lips curved into a bitter smile. “The daughter of a demigod, yet after five thousand years of cultivation, I am nothing more than a lower-ranked Celestial. Father, besides you, who doesn’t mock me behind my back as some half-demon freak?”
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