Futile Devices Scans

Yet Chen Yixin had still underestimated the human heart—no, rather, the hearts of those immortals who stood above all beings, supposedly transcending the six desires.

After his words fell, someone still sneered coldly, “The youngest son of the Immortal Emperor has already been completely bewitched by this demonic aberration. With such a noble body, how can he consort with a demon of unknown origin…”

Unable to condemn Wenren Li—whose demonic identity had already been cleansed by Chen Yixin’s divine blood—they instead began to criticize their relationship as being contrary to worldly norms.

“Silence! Since my brother-in-law has already had his demonic energy cleansed, then he is no longer of the demon race. Their union has been approved by our father and mother!” Chen Yixin’s elder brother stepped forward, placing himself before him, his protective intent unmistakable.

Chen Yixin had already given them an excuse with his blood—if they still did not stand up now, others would truly think the Phoenix Divine Clan could be bullied.

“Hahaha…” Yet Chen Yixin burst into laughter, showing no regard whatsoever for the Immortal Emperor. “And you still call yourself an immortal—yet you cannot even see through something so simple.”

“I might as well tell you plainly—I like men. I like A-Li.”

If it were not true love, how could there have been today’s Dao companion ceremony? If he did not love him, how could he have shed all his divine blood for Wenren Li? Whether their feelings were right or wrong was not for this Immortal Emperor to judge.

“Sticking your nose into others’ business like a meddling fool.”

Chen Yixin swept his hand across the Burning Heaven Nether Palace. The entire palace shrank instantly and was drawn into his sleeve. His form shifted once more into a phoenix radiating blue light, and in the next instant, he tore through space and vanished.

With Emperor Fengyuan and the Phoenix Empress watching, no Immortal Emperor dared to pursue him directly. They no longer had justification to act—otherwise, it would be tantamount to openly declaring themselves enemies of the entire ancient Phoenix Divine Clan.

As for the other half-step Immortal Emperors and Immortal Lords, they were no match for Chen Yixin. Even if they wished to pursue him, they could not catch someone who had returned to his true form and deliberately hidden himself. However, one thing was certain—there would be no shortage of those secretly searching for him.

Chen Yixin’s elder brother sent him a voice transmission, urging him to return to the Phoenix Divine Clan’s domain. With their father and mother there, no one would dare harm him or Wenren Li’s lives. Chen Yixin knew this well—yet he still did not return.

Over the years, in order to find better divine water and divine soil for Wenren Li, he had traversed nearly every corner of the Upper Realm. In his view, some places were far safer than the Phoenix Divine Domain itself.

Today, his father, mother, and brothers had refrained from acting on his behalf due to the taboos of the divine clan. Who was to say that in the future, for some baseless reason, they would not once again send their own son and son-in-law out to be slaughtered?

Never had Chen Yixin seen things more clearly than he did now—nothing was more important than possessing strength himself. He could not hide. He had to bring Wenren Li with him and grow stronger as quickly as possible. Only when they themselves were powerful would they never lack the ability to fight back, no matter the situation.

Chen Yixin’s face grew paler and paler. The opponents he encountered became increasingly formidable—yet his combat strength rose again and again. Each time, the immortals believed he could no longer hold on, that he was on the verge of falling. Yet the next time, news would spread that he had slain yet another Immortal Lord.

“Mother, please release Father from your chest. If this continues, you won’t be able to endure it.”

Yinzi was no longer as adorable in its true form as when Chen Yixin had first picked it up. Yet in daily life, it still preferred to shrink to the size of a cushion, playing the part of an innocent child—acting cute and obedient with practiced ease.

But now, it was not acting at all. It was genuinely worried for Chen Yixin. Its long whiskers lightly brushed against the strands of silver-white hair at the ends of Chen Yixin’s hair, aching with concern.

Chen Yixin had endured countless pursuits and battles—but all while carrying, within his chest, a seed that fed on his blood. The preciousness of phoenix divine blood needed no explanation. If this continued, Chen Yixin’s lifespan would truly become a cause for alarm.

“It’s fine,” Chen Yixin said, gently patting Yinzi’s head. His other hand pressed lightly against his chest, and a trace of tenderness appeared on his face as he murmured, “It will be soon.”

Yet that “soon” did not come quickly. Not in ten days, nor in half a month; not even in ten or twenty years. A full hundred years passed, and Chen Yixin remained in this state. His hair had completely turned silver, and at the same time, he had become capable of battling a first-grade Immortal Emperor for three days without defeat.

“Mother, where are we going this time?”

Yinzi asked as it floated along the ground. It no longer dared to lazily demand that Chen Yixin carry it—if anything, it was now prepared to carry Chen Yixin when needed.

Over the years, they had mostly hidden within remote forbidden zones of the Upper Realm. Even when discovered and surrounded, they could rely on the terrain to kill a few enemies before escaping. However, just a few days ago, they had slain several more in such a place. After that, those searching for them would only increase. They would need to relocate again.

Chen Yixin did not answer immediately. He pondered for quite some time before finally giving Yinzi a reply.

“We’ll go to the Lesser Hill Realm, to Qiu Yi.”

Yinzi knew Immortal Lord Qiu Yi. He was one of the few friends Chen Yixin had. But Chen Yixin was not going to him out of friendship—he intended to borrow something.

Qiu Yi resided in the Lesser Hill Realm, not particularly far from where Chen Yixin had been staying. With Yinzi being a void beast, they traveled through the void and arrived in less than half a day.

When Qiu Yi saw Chen Yixin, now with a head of silver hair, he stood stunned for a long while before finally speaking softly, “Lord Yi… you’ve come.”

Chen Yixin had no mood for pleasantries as in the past. He spoke directly, “I’ve come to borrow something from you.”

Qiu Yi fell silent for a moment, then understood what Chen Yixin sought. He nodded and led the way. “Lord Yi, follow me.”

Chen Yixin followed him to a well in the southeastern part of the Lesser Hill Realm. This was what he had come to borrow. There was no doubt—they could no longer remain in the Upper Realm. Their only path forward was to descend to the Lower Realm, pass through the cycle of reincarnation, and begin anew.

“Lord Yi, think carefully,” Qiu Yi said. Many had come to borrow this well before, and he had personally witnessed their fates—few ended well. Some were ensnared by mortal life and could not return, while others became lost within the cycle of reincarnation, reduced to wandering souls.

Chen Yixin had already done so much for Wenren Li. In Qiu Yi’s eyes, it should have been enough. To persist further would only harm both himself and others.

Hearing this, Chen Yixin glanced at Qiu Yi and gently shook his head. “Qiu Yi, you have not yet met the one who makes you understand. When you do, you will. Thinking it over is useless—once I realized I loved A-Li, my resolve has never changed.”

Just as he had once told Wenren Li—he had chosen him. He chose him now, and even if they were to be reborn through reincarnation, he would choose him still.

Chen Yixin tapped his chest, and a seed—no longer radiating spiritual light—appeared in his palm. His A-Li had already fully transformed. What remained now was time. The Upper Realm could not grant them that time—so they would go to the Lower Realm instead.

“Once A-Li reaches the Lower Realm, you must cultivate diligently—and you are not allowed to fall in love with anyone but me.”

Chen Yixin gently kissed the black seed. His hand lifted toward the well, then paused. He said softly, “Wait for me.”

As his words fell, the seed dropped into the well. A bolt of heavenly lightning suddenly descended, but Chen Yixin used immortal arts to block it. He then remained by the well for several months, only finally relaxing once he was certain that Wenren Li had successfully reincarnated.

“Lord Yi, where are you going?” Qiu Yi came to deliver some medicinal pills to Chen Yixin, only to find him packing up as if preparing to leave again.

“There are some matters I must settle before I can go.”

Chen Yixin did not elaborate further. He left behind several rare treasures as compensation, then departed with Yinzi.

However, Chen Yixin did not take the Burning Heaven Nether Palace with him. He left it with Qiu Yi, asking him to reinforce its formations, intending to use it to protect Yinzi when sending it to the Lower Realm.

As a result, even the palace spirit did not know what Chen Yixin had gone off to do with Yinzi. This departure lasted a full ten years. Qiu Yi inquired about him, but no news of Chen Yixin surfaced anywhere. He could only speculate that Chen Yixin had likely been found by his family and brought back to the Phoenix Divine Domain to recover.

Yet before they could settle into peace for long, shocking news spread across the Upper Realm: Chen Yixin had slain the second-grade Immortal Emperor Luo Ze within the Heavenly River Forbidden Zone—the very same emperor who had once mocked Chen Yixin and Wenren Li for their “improper union”.

At the same time, rumors spread that Chen Yixin’s origin essence had been exhausted and that his life would not last much longer. Some even claimed to have seen him fall into the river and perish.

Qiu Yi did not investigate further. Based on his understanding of Chen Yixin, he knew he would not be willing to die. He would certainly return.

And indeed, half a month later, Chen Yixin returned—barely alive. His origin essence was truly depleted.

“Will you not invite the Emperor or the Phoenix Empress to protect you during your tribulation? With only me, I fear I cannot safeguard you,” Qiu Yi said.

“No need,” Chen Yixin replied, shaking his head. Step by step, he dragged himself toward the well leading to the Lower Realm. He took the Burning Heaven Nether Palace from Qiu Yi and placed Yinzi—who had been slightly injured in battle—inside it, asking Qiu Yi to care for it for a few more days before sending it down.

Then he walked toward the well himself. A trace of tenderness appeared in his expression—after so long, he truly, deeply missed his A-Li.

“Lord Yi…” Qiu Yi’s eyes filled with faint sorrow. Even now, he did not fully understand—but it did not stop him from being moved. If someone loved him as deeply as Chen Yixin loved Wenren Li, how could he remain unmoved?

At this moment, he could only hope that Wenren Li would prove worthy of such devotion—that the two of them might achieve a relatively complete ending. Or perhaps that Chen Yixin might eventually let go and transcend this emotional tribulation.

Hearing Qiu Yi’s call, Chen Yixin did not turn back. He could even sense his family rushing toward him through the void—but still, he did not turn.

Reaching the well, without the slightest hesitation, he leapt in.

“A-Li, I’ve come to find you.”

The Phoenix Emperor Feng Yuan, who had rushed over, struck out with a spell, but only managed to catch a single strand of Chen Yixin’s silver hair.

“Foolish child… foolish child…”

Feng Yuan searched within the well for several hours, yet could not find even the slightest trace of Chen Yixin. Compared to the phenomenon that had accompanied Wenren Li’s reincarnation, Chen Yixin had vanished like water sinking into a well—so completely that even Feng Yuan could not detect him.

This was perhaps one of the reasons Chen Yixin had exhausted his origin essence entirely. Or perhaps it was due to his innate constitution, one that was naturally in harmony with the Dao.

Several days later, the Burning Heaven Nether Palace, reinforced anew by Feng Yuan, was cast into the well. Yet even this immortal palace of the Upper Realm, protected by an Immortal Emperor, suffered severe damage in the process. Though Yinzi remained unharmed, parts of its memory were still affected by the cycle of reincarnation, leaving most of its past forgotten.

The visions within the blood pool ended abruptly here.

For a long time, both Chen Yixin and Wenren Li remained silent—especially Wenren Li. He had never imagined that in their past life, Chen Yixin had sacrificed so much for him. And worst of all—he himself remembered nothing.

He turned slightly, raising his hand, only for it to fall gently upon Chen Yixin’s chest. His throat tightened as he spoke, “Does it still hurt?”

To carry within one’s heart a seed that constantly fed on blood—how painful must that have been?

“It doesn’t hurt,” Chen Yixin replied with certainty. He stepped closer, closing the distance between them completely. “With A-Li in my heart, this place is warm. It won’t hurt.”

Chen Yixin had not regained any of his memories, yet he was still certain of these words—and of this feeling. In the palace spirit’s memories, whenever he touched his chest, his expression had always been gentle. It was not because of pain—but because his beloved was there.

And fortunately, after their reincarnation, though there had been twists and hardships, they had still found each other again—

—and fallen in love once more.

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