What scenery lay at the bottom of the Heavenly River? Other than Chen Yixin, who was the soul of the Heavenly River, only those immortals and gods who had either perished or been suppressed within its depths had ever known. Now, one more person would join their number—Wenren Li.
Compared to the last time, when he had felt crushing pressure and the inability to survive, Wenren Li felt none of that now.
The waters shimmered brilliantly. The water of the Heavenly River was formed from countless fragments of time pieced together, and there was also that pure aquatic aura. Water nourished wood, and this aura was the same water essence that radiated from Chen Yixin’s body, so it did not make him uncomfortable in the slightest.
Wenren Li let his awareness spread outward for a moment before drawing it back to the person before him. His features were beautiful, but what stirred Wenren Li’s heart even more was the way Chen Yixin kissed him—utterly focused, steadfast, and filled with affection.
When the kiss ended, Chen Yixin released Wenren Li and instead clasped his hand tightly, and together they continued sinking toward the riverbed.
Yet within Wenren Li’s vision, a fragmentary and somewhat disconnected scene from the past flashed by. It was from the time before his spiritual consciousness had awakened—or perhaps from a time so distant that he had accidentally forgotten it.
Above the Myriad Worlds was the Immortal Realm, and within it flowed a Heavenly River that had existed since time immemorial. It had already been there before the Father God opened up the Immortal Realm—or perhaps it was more accurate to say that the Immortal Realm existed because of it.
It was water of absolute purity, without source or origin. Nothing could contain it. In the end, it became the burial ground of gods, washing away slaughter and cleansing all former glory.
Yet the Heavenly River had always possessed its own mission. Too many gods had been buried within it, and the burden they brought was immense. Unknowingly, they had strengthened the influence of the Void Origin. As the Heavenly River weakened, the Void Origin flourished, giving rise to the Age of Dharma’s End.
All things in existence restrained and complemented one another. The Heavenly River and the Void Origin were precisely such opposites.
The Heavenly River existed to suppress the Void Origin, and the birth of the Heavenly River’s soul had likewise taken shape because the evil intent of the Void Origin had grown too powerful. However, unlike the formless Void Origin, the Heavenly River’s soul required both time and the proper opportunity to be born and take form.
“So it truly is impossible to use a seed from beyond the Realm Gate. It can be nurtured with Heavenly River water and grow to maturity, but it cannot be used by me…”
A young man formed from the waters of the Heavenly River gazed at the tiny sapling that had grown beside him for countless tens of thousands of years and could not resist reaching out to flick it lightly.
“A spiritual consciousness and soul have already formed. If I were to seize it, that would be evil. I cannot take it…”
The Heavenly River’s waters were formless and could only assume shape through external vessels. Originally, he had used the Heavenly River’s waters to nurture this seed of the Longevity Dao Fruit because he wanted to establish a stronger foundation for himself, thereby enabling him to better oppose the Void Origin. Yet unexpectedly, it had developed intelligence. As the source of ultimate purity, he could not erase it.
“Very well. Then grow in peace.”
The young man touched the sapling, leaving behind a trace of water essence before returning to the Heavenly River. Countless years passed before he came again to visit it. By then, the sapling had grown much taller and become a small silver tree. Yet before the young man could speak with it, he collapsed beside it and fell unconscious.
From that point onward, whenever the young man became extremely weak, he would come rest beside the little tree.
“To pass through the Realm Gate, my existence must be severed. If the Heavenly River is cut off, I too cannot survive. This is my destiny.” Smiling faintly, the young man lifted his hand and allowed the tree’s branches to curl around his wrist. He did not seem particularly resentful of the destiny the gods had assigned him.
“If it must be severed, then let it be severed. Since it is destiny, it is not something I can resist.”
As the little tree’s spiritual consciousness gradually awakened, its branches and leaves trembled lightly, perhaps stirred by the winds of this extradimensional world, or perhaps worried about the young man’s fate.
The young man slept beside the tree, his expression peaceful as ever, but within his chest churned a mass of gray energy—the Void Origin that repeatedly tormented him and left him terribly weakened.
The little tree extended its roots and climbed onto the young man’s chest. The roots wrapped around the Void Origin, and before the young man could awaken, it tore through space and fled. It escaped all the way to the end of the Heavenly River, only to be intercepted by the awakened young man.
“So, you wish to use the Void Origin to pass through the Realm Gate?” Sadness flickered across the young man’s face, but it soon hardened into stern resolve. His existence was the foundation of countless living beings within this world. The lives of innumerable creatures were not something he could casually abandon for anyone.
The waters of the Heavenly River surged forth, engulfing both the little tree and the Void Origin. Yet when the water returned to the young man’s side, neither the Void Origin nor the silver tree he had raised for all those years remained.
Feeling a profound sense of loss, the young man sank to the bottom of the Heavenly River and continued sleeping. The Void Origin had escaped. When it returned again, who knew how many new sources of evil it would bring? Or perhaps that would be the day his destiny finally arrived.
The sequence of images flashed by rapidly, yet they were so clear that Wenren Li could not mistake them. The young man was Chen Yixin, and the silver tree that had carried the Void Origin away from the Heavenly River was himself.
“At the time, A-Li must have wanted to take the Void Origin away so I wouldn’t remain weak anymore…”
When Chen Yixin thought of it now, the sorrow he had once felt was long gone. Yet back then, Wenren Li’s thinking had been too simple. The Void Origin was born from the evil thoughts of all living things. Once removed from the Heavenly River’s suppression, it became increasingly difficult to control. If it fell into the hands of someone with poor character, the resulting harm would be immeasurable.
“I came because of the Void Origin, and I also came to find A-Li.” Chen Yixin skipped over everything that had happened afterward and said no more. Leading Wenren Li through the underwater passage that connected to the Heavenly River of the Heavenly Realm, he finally returned.
Wenren Li turned his head to look at Chen Yixin, who resembled a spirit born of water essence, and nodded gently.
Yet he believed the truth was that Chen Yixin had sensed something and had no choice but to risk entering the world. For the soul of the Heavenly River to leave the river itself was equivalent to abandoning his strongest armor and weapon. The danger involved was easy to imagine.
However, after Wenren Li had been taken away by the Void Origin, the memories of his growth beside the Heavenly River had been erased. He forgot Chen Yixin, and Chen Yixin, forced to descend into the world, forgot him as well. Yet the bond between them had already been forged, and memory alone could no longer dictate it.
“Elder Brother and the others must be worried sick waiting for us. Let’s hurry.”
As he spoke, Chen Yixin pulled Wenren Li out of the water. Qing Ruo, Lin Yu, and the others had already been brought to the riverbank by Yinzi and were waiting there.
“Elder Brother!”
The smile on Chen Yixin’s face brightened even further. Releasing Wenren Li’s hand, he walked up to Qing Ruo and was immediately gathered into an embrace.
“A-Rong has returned… as long as you’ve returned safely, that’s enough.” Qing Ruo gently stroked Chen Yixin’s back. He could not bring himself to utter a single word of reproach. To him, as long as Chen Yixin and Wenren Li had returned safely, however many years of waiting it had taken were worth it.
“Mhm.” Chen Yixin responded softly, leaning against Qing Ruo’s shoulder as he explained in a low voice, “A-Li and I were trapped within the Heavenly River, which is why we couldn’t return at the time we promised.”
When he had taken Wenren Li into the Heavenly River, it had been equivalent to abandoning his body as a Heavenly Phoenix. He had needed to use the waters of the Heavenly River to reconstruct his soul and body. Though it was not as difficult as the first time, it still required a considerable amount of time.
Not wanting Qing Ruo and Lin Yu to worry, they had first sent Wenren Li’s physical body back. Even so, everything together had still consumed more than two hundred thousand years.
“I understand.” Qing Ruo rubbed Chen Yixin’s hair and finally released him. If he kept hugging him any longer, the two people standing nearby would probably glare their eyes right out of their sockets.
Yet before Chen Yixin could return to Wenren Li’s side, Yinzi leapt into his arms first.
“Mother, Yinzi wants Mother to hold me too.”
Yinzi had long harbored resentment over this hug. The long silver whiskers on his forehead curled around Chen Yixin’s hair, while both hands clung tightly to Chen Yixin’s shoulders. His round eyes did not look at Chen Yixin at all; instead, he turned his head to glare at Wenren Li, who had always prevented him from getting close to Chen Yixin.
“Alright, I’ll hold Yinzi for a while,” Chen Yixin said with a pursed-lip smile. He carried Yinzi with one arm while extending his other hand to Wenren Li, his brows and eyes bright and radiant, just as they had been in the beginning.
Lin Yu also took Qing Ruo’s hand, and with Jiu Yu accompanying them, they slowly made their way back toward Yuxu Palace.
“By the way, Elder Brother, Big Brother Lin Yu, your wedding should have already been held by now, right?”
Chen Yixin turned back, only to see both Qing Ruo and Lin Yu shake their heads with expressions that seemed largely unconcerned. Then again, with Chen Yixin and Wenren Li’s whereabouts unknown, how could they possibly have been in the mood to think about a wedding?
Chen Yixin continued staring at them for another moment before turning back to Wenren Li. “A-Li, do you think they still haven’t… ahem, you know…?”
Chen Yixin’s senses were now even sharper than before. When he had hugged Qing Ruo earlier, he had not sensed another person’s aura on him at all. Although Qing Ruo and Lin Yu were both Ancient God-level existences, in this regard they probably knew less than ordinary minor gods.
“A Heavenly Phoenix must maintain its strongest combat strength. The purer its aura remains, the better,” Wenren Li explained, resolving Chen Yixin’s confusion. He glanced back at the slightly awkward-looking Qing Ruo and Lin Yu before continuing, “Now that everything is settled, you may simply follow your hearts.”
In the past, whenever Qing Ruo and Lin Yu cultivated together, it had only been dual cultivation of the soul. They helped each other increase their cultivation and heal their injuries, but nothing beyond that.
Lin Yu understood Qing Ruo’s thoughts and had never forced or demanded anything of him. Thus, the pair whom all the gods already regarded as an old married couple were, in truth, purer than anyone else.
“…Then let’s get married. A-Rong and the Great Emperor have returned. We should celebrate.”
Qing Ruo finally spoke. The trace of hesitation on his face faded away. In truth, there was nothing to hesitate over. In his previous life, Lin Yu had braved life and death to protect him, and his heart had long since found its home. There was no need to continue delaying.
“Alright,” Lin Yu replied, smiling at Qing Ruo again and again, only to be inexplicably glared at twice in return.
They walked from dawn until dusk before finally returning to Yuxu Palace. Along the way, through their conversations, Qing Ruo and Lin Yu finally learned the full details of that battle from years ago. Even now, recalling its dangers made them break into cold sweats on behalf of Chen Yixin and Wenren Li.
“What about the Void Origin? Was it really destroyed?”
Qing Ruo could not help but ask. It had been born from all the evil in existence; surely it could not disappear so easily.
Wenren Li and Lin Yu both turned to look at Chen Yixin. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head. “No. The Realm Gate exists precisely to isolate and purify the Void Origin. As long as both the Realm Gate and I remain, it will never truly disappear.”
“You don’t need to worry so much. Things are different now. I can already leave the Heavenly River and continue cultivating without being bound by the Heavenly River’s true body. One day, I’ll find a way to suppress it completely.”
The human heart is complicated. From a single thought, all evil may arise. To eradicate it completely would require the total extinction of all living beings in this world.
As for making every person good, that was essentially impossible. Even immortals could not escape scheming and intrigue, much less the countless cultivation realms and mortal worlds.
Therefore, the key to suppressing it still lay with Chen Yixin. He had to remain strong forever in order to face every possible danger that might come. Once he entered the world, he was no longer outside the cycle of reincarnation, but in exchange he gained room to grow.
There are gains and losses in all things. At this point, how could Chen Yixin still fail to understand that?
“Besides, I still have A-Li and all of you watching over me,” Chen Yixin said, turning to smile at Wenren Li. His eyes shone brightly without the slightest trace of worry. There might be troubles again in the future, but at this moment he was unquestionably happy.
“Mhm,” Wenren Li replied softly, tightening his grip on their joined hands.
Outside Yuxu Palace ahead of them, all the gods had already gathered. The Ten Divine Generals had all returned, the weakest among them already ranked as a Third-Grade Immortal Lord. Among them, Qing Peng and Ze Fang had reached the Seventh-Grade and Eighth-Grade Immortal Lord realms respectively. Their paths of growth would have been regarded as legends even in the outside world.
They knelt upon the ground, their hearts filled with emotion. Chen Yixin and Wenren Li had bestowed immense kindness upon them, a kindness worthy of repaying with everything they possessed.
“Rise, all of you. An Cheng may begin preparing Qing Ruo and Lin Yu’s wedding.”
Wenren Li turned his head and gave An Cheng several instructions. Then his gaze lowered slightly toward Jiu Yu, and the next moment Yinzi lost control of his own body and flew directly into Jiu Yu’s arms.
Chen Yixin pressed his lips together in a faint smile and allowed Wenren Li to do as he pleased. He nodded to An Cheng, and then Wenren Li led him back to their palace.
Everything there remained exactly as it had been when they left. Even the furnishings had been arranged according to their old habits.
Chen Yixin sat down on a soft couch and gave Wenren Li a gentle tug. Wenren Li sat beside him, and Chen Yixin immediately nestled into his embrace.
Wenren Li wrapped both arms around him, supporting Chen Yixin so he could lean more comfortably. After a moment, he lowered his head and kissed Chen Yixin’s face again and again, as though using this method to reassure himself that the person before him truly was the one he loved.
Chen Yixin’s aura had changed, but his appearance had not changed much at all. To Qing Ruo and the others, he seemed almost no different than before. Even in the past, the water aura around him had always surpassed his Heavenly Phoenix aura, and that water aura was already familiar to all of them.
Blinking, Chen Yixin calmly enjoyed Wenren Li’s kisses, occasionally returning one of his own.
Wenren Li continued kissing him, his lips lingering over Chen Yixin’s brows and eyes as though trying to imprint his aura into those excessively pure eyes. Another kiss descended, but Chen Yixin turned his head aside.
Chen Yixin’s eyes widened slightly as he spoke with complete confidence. “A-Li, don’t tell me you think I wouldn’t feel anything if you keep doing this?” Even if he had not felt anything initially, Wenren Li’s kisses had certainly brought those feelings out, not to mention that he had always been easily moved whenever it came to Wenren Li.
“If you have no intention of doing anything further with me, then you should stop while you still can.” Otherwise, he would no longer be able to sit there obediently and let himself be kissed.
“Then what does A-Rong intend to do?” Wenren Li lifted Chen Yixin’s chin with two fingers. His lips pressed against Chen Yixin’s as he murmured softly, his voice pleasant yet carrying an inexplicable sensuality.
Chen Yixin suddenly felt as though he were being seduced. Unconsciously lowering his voice, he answered, “Naturally, I’m going to pounce on A-Li…”
Since he had fallen in love, then naturally he wanted to do things that were even more intimate. Chen Yixin did not think there was anything wrong with what he had said. He rubbed against Wenren Li’s lips again before asking another question. “Will you?” Would he allow himself to be pounced upon?
Wenren Li did not answer. Instead, he lifted Chen Yixin from the couch and carried him toward their bed, woven from clouds, with a silver merman-silk blanket resting nearby.
Chen Yixin failed to pounce on Wenren Li. Instead, he found himself laid down upon the cloud-woven bed.
Wenren Li’s gentle kisses gradually grew heated, carrying all the deep emotions that words could never fully express, until both of them became completely immersed within them. Reaching this point together had not been easy, which made every moment they spent together all the more precious.
Clouds gathered, rain descended, and all living things flourished. The Upper Realm, where rain seldom fell, was blessed with a continuous spiritual rain. Plants flourished, and countless divine herbs long thought extinct pushed their way up from unknown corners of the land.
The same was even more true within Yuxu Palace, where Chen Yixin and Wenren Li resided. Apart from a handful of newly recruited demonic guards, no one in the Demon Palace found any of it surprising. Everyone simply carried on with their work of cutting grass and trimming trees with remarkable efficiency.
Inside the Medicine Pavilion on the outskirts of Yuxu Palace, Qiu Yi was brewing tea. Across from him sat his regular guest, Ze Fang. In addition, there were two more visitors—Jiu Yu, who had arrived while carrying Yinzi.
Almost every living being rejoiced at the arrival of the spiritual rain. He alone found it difficult to be happy.
He was an Otherworldly Demon born from the Void Origin. Not only had his cultivation failed to improve over the years, it had actually regressed. Had it not been for the black thread Chen Yixin had given him to stabilize his form, he would have long since vanished like the other Otherworldly Demons.
“His Majesty the Sovereign Consort cannot attend to your situation yet. Wait a few more days and he’ll come see you.”
As Qiu Yi spoke, he placed a bowl of tea before Jiu Yu. For them, these two hundred thousand years had been a period of waiting, but for Chen Yixin and Wenren Li they had been a desperate struggle between life and death. They needed time to recover as well.
“Will he really have a solution?” Jiu Yu muttered quietly after taking a sip of tea. His origins alone ensured that he could never leave the supervision of Yuxu Palace, yet if he remained here, he felt that only death awaited him.
“My mother is the most amazing. She’ll definitely have a way,” Yinzi protested before Qiu Yi could reply. Trapped in Jiu Yu’s arms, he turned his head toward the direction of the main palace before dejectedly looking away again.
“Bad Daddy stole my mother away again…”
“Oh, give it a rest. He already let you cling to him all the way here. That’s more than enough…”
In the past, Yinzi would never have had such an opportunity. It was only because they had just returned and Wenren Li understood how long everyone had waited that he had allowed Qing Ruo a hug and given Yinzi a chance to take advantage. In the future, Yinzi would probably find it very difficult to get Chen Yixin to hold him again.
After saying that, Jiu Yu no longer dwelled on his previous concerns. In truth, Chen Yixin and Wenren Li’s return had not only reassured him—it had also made him accept reality. If those two had not returned, he might still have entertained other thoughts. From now on, however, he absolutely could not.
Otherwise, he would not die from weakness—he would be slapped to death directly by either Chen Yixin or Wenren Li.
“By the way, why are you two still just drinking tea? I’m getting anxious on your behalf…”
The moment those words left Jiu Yu’s mouth, Qiu Yi immediately looked away, while the usually composed Ze Fang’s ears turned red. A moment later, Ze Fang’s gaze became slightly stern, and realizing he had said the wrong thing, Jiu Yu promptly fled with Yinzi in his arms.
Yet the fact that Qiu Yi and Ze Fang had gradually fallen in love was hardly a secret within Yuxu Palace. On the contrary, it was their slow and steady relationship that left everyone else anxious for them.
The spiritual rain continued to fall without pause. Even after Chen Yixin and Wenren Li emerged from their bedchamber, it still showed no sign of stopping.
“It’ll probably continue for another two days,” Chen Yixin said with a soft smile, reaching out to touch the rain. Pulling Wenren Li along, he sat down in a pavilion beside the garden and tapped his foot against the ground twice. “Come out.”
The moment he spoke, a crack opened in the space before them, and through it appeared Yinzi, bringing Jiu Yu along with him.
They were probably fooling one another—it was hard to say which—but the fact that they had been keeping watch outside the main hall the entire time was true enough.
“Mother, it’s Yinzi, not a bad person,” Yinzi said as he rolled directly to Chen Yixin’s feet and wrapped both arms around Chen Yixin’s leg. Sensing another gaze fixed upon him, he did not dare climb any higher, but neither was he willing to let go just like that.
Chen Yixin’s hand came to rest atop Yinzi’s head, gently ruffling it twice. “I know it’s you two.”
As he spoke, he lifted his eyes toward Jiu Yu. “Come here.”
Jiu Yu glanced at Chen Yixin, then at Wenren Li, before slowly making his way over. The hand that had originally been resting atop Yinzi’s head then settled on his own.
“As expected…” The Root of Void Origin had indeed been planted by Dongfang Jin into Jiu Yu’s divine soul. Had Jiu Yu not been clever enough—and had he not trusted Chen Yixin enough to accept that black thread—once he left Yuxu Palace, his mind would certainly have fallen under the control of Void Origin and Dongfang Jin.
The day they revived would be the day Jiu Yu’s consciousness was completely erased.
Yinzi shot a jealous look at Jiu Yu. Jiu Yu himself had no idea why, but Wenren Li’s expression turned serious. Looking at Chen Yixin, he asked, “Can it be removed?”
Chen Yixin nodded. “It can, but some preparations are still needed.”
As he spoke, he rubbed Jiu Yu’s head once more. “Don’t worry. I won’t harm your life. Just sleep for a while first.”
Hearing that, Jiu Yu’s throat tightened inexplicably. He knew Chen Yixin was not an exceptionally benevolent person. His kindness and gentleness were reserved mostly for those close to him, which only made that kindness all the more precious. Now, at last, he himself had been included within that circle.
At the same time, when he noticed the look Yinzi was giving him, he no longer felt entirely innocent. Perhaps deep down, his attachment to Chen Yixin exceeded that which he had ever felt toward any other living being.
Jiu Yu fell asleep. His human form dispersed, turning into a pale gray sphere of light. Chen Yixin stored it away in a porcelain bottle, then rubbed Yinzi’s hair again. Taking Wenren Li’s hand, he rose to his feet, and the two of them vanished directly from Yuxu Palace.
“A-Li, aren’t you even going to ask where I’m taking you?”
They traveled through the void, stepping out of one world only to disappear into another, repeating the process again and again. If one was not careful, it would have been all too easy to become lost.
But even if Chen Yixin somehow managed to lose himself, there was no chance he would lose Wenren Li. Their journey through the void was for the sake of finding Nangong Chuan’s emotional soul fragment—Han Zichuan.
Back then, besides everything he had gathered along the way, the black pouch Chen Yixin had given Han Zichuan also contained a handful of soil from the bottom of the Myriad Worlds Well. Where Han Zichuan ended up had been entirely random. Now, the search relied largely on the rough location provided by the Myriad Worlds Well; otherwise, finding him would have been exceedingly difficult.
When they finally found him, Han Zichuan had become an herb gatherer in a mortal world. He never stayed in a single town for more than five years before moving somewhere else.
The incomplete Heavenly Dao of that mortal realm had suppressed his cultivation to the Golden Core stage, yet his body remained that of an Immortal Lord. For one or two epochs, he would neither age nor die. He had considered returning to the Upper Realm, but compared to being reabsorbed by Nangong Chuan and having his consciousness completely erased, he preferred the life he was living now.
Before a wooden cottage in the wilderness outside a small town, Chen Yixin and Wenren Li descended from the sky. Han Zichuan, returning with a basket of medicinal herbs on his back, froze for a moment before a look of obvious relief appeared on his face.
“Come in and sit for a while. There’s nothing much to offer in this little world—just a bit of ordinary tea.”
Chen Yixin nodded. Neither he nor Wenren Li had changed much, but Han Zichuan carried an air of worldly weariness, as though he had seen through the affairs of life. He glanced at Chen Yixin once before looking away. The improper desires he had once harbored had long since been worn away by time.
As long as Chen Yixin was alive, that was enough. Those hundred years had been Heaven’s gift to him. The tranquility of life in this mortal world had given him ample time to understand all the things he had once failed to comprehend.
Perhaps there truly had been some invisible thread guiding him, leading him toward certain places and certain decisions.
The so-called “love tribulation” his master had foretold for him had never referred to another person. It referred to himself. He was merely a single emotional soul fragment of the High God Nangong Chuan. That was all. It had nothing to do with Chen Yixin, and nothing to do with Wenren Li.
This mortal world possessed almost no spiritual energy at all. As Chen Yixin and Wenren Li flew through it, they even noticed that the people here dressed differently from those in other worlds. Men and women alike could wear short hair. It was summer, and their clothing was correspondingly lighter and cooler.
As for the tea Han Zichuan brewed, it could not even compare to the tea of the mortal world of Taixuan, much less that of the Upper Realm.
Chen Yixin picked up a teacup, merely sniffed it, and set it back down. “This place looks like it needs spiritual rain even more than the Upper Realm…”
He muttered the remark under his breath. Wenren Li immediately looked over, shook his head with an amused smile, and took Chen Yixin’s hand into his own, resting it upon his thigh. “This place was once a land rich in spiritual energy. After Void Origin ravaged it, immortal roots vanished, and with the unchecked growth of human desires and greed, it gradually became what you see today.”
Lush forests had been replaced by sand and dust, while foul and polluted miasma continued to arise without end. Restoring it would likely require far more than a single rainfall of spiritual energy.
Chen Yixin had only been complaining about the unpleasant tea when Wenren Li began educating him with yet another lesson. Secretly glaring at him, Chen Yixin turned his attention back to Han Zichuan, who was concentrating on brewing tea.
He wasted no time with unnecessary pleasantries. “I can completely sever your connection to Nangong Chuan, but I want the Starry River Map you possess.”
The Starry River Map was the treasure map that had once existed within Heaven’s Secret Sect. Back then, Han Zichuan had used it to leave Taixuan. Chen Yixin now had another use for it. He wanted it, but he would not simply take it for free.
Han Zichuan froze briefly. He had not expected Chen Yixin and Wenren Li to come for that. Aside from helping him leave Taixuan, the map had largely been left unused. When he first arrived in this world, he had considered using it to leave again.
Yet it was precisely because he feared Nangong Chuan that he chose to remain here. At first, he had been just like Chen Yixin, unable to stomach anything this world had to offer. Now, however, even the tea he cultivated himself and brewed with mountain spring water had become acceptable.
Without another word, he retrieved the Starry River Map from his storage ring. “This is it.”
It was a tattered map. After Chen Yixin infused it with a trace of divine power, it immediately felt somewhat different.
Chen Yixin nodded to Han Zichuan. Then he extended a finger and tapped the center of Han Zichuan’s brow. Han Zichuan seemed to hear the sound of some invisible thread snapping beside his ear.
From that moment onward, Nangong Chuan was Nangong Chuan, and Han Zichuan was Han Zichuan. There would never again be any connection between them.
Having obtained what he came for, Chen Yixin did not linger in the mortal world. Leaving Han Zichuan a talisman stone that could return him to the Upper Realm, he departed together with Wenren Li.
“Although the aura of this mortal world isn’t particularly pleasant, it does have plenty of interesting things. We should come back someday when we’re free. Elder Brother finally managed to get married—we can’t miss it.”
Besides, knowing Qing Ruo’s temperament, had Chen Yixin and Wenren Li not returned, his wedding with Lin Yu would likely have been delayed even longer.
“Alright,” Wenren Li replied softly. Yet instead of simply walking beside him, he wrapped an arm around Chen Yixin’s waist and personally carried him away from the mortal realm. He was still worried that a place once ravaged by Void Origin might somehow affect Chen Yixin.
Understanding the concern behind Wenren Li’s actions, Chen Yixin pressed a kiss to his cheek. “It’s wonderful having A-Li around.”
The current him could no longer endure those lonely years spent existing solely through the Heavenly River. From the moment he personally planted Wenren Li, his fate of separating from the Heavenly River had already been set. Once the Heavenly River itself had learned the warmth of companionship, it could no longer bear the loneliness of solitude.
Wenren Li kissed Chen Yixin’s hair but did not answer aloud. Yet his feelings were exactly the same. Only when Chen Yixin was by his side did the world seem truly beautiful.
By the time they returned to Yuxu Palace, nearly half a month had passed. Thanks to the efficiency of An Cheng and the Demon Guards, both Yuxu Palace and Heavenly Phoenix Valley had long since been decorated in festive splendor. Invitations had been sent throughout the residences of gods and immortals alike. Once the auspicious day arrived, it would be a celebration for all beneath the heavens.
Yuxu Palace and Heavenly Phoenix Valley stood close together. Qing Ruo and Lin Yu would travel together from Heavenly Phoenix Valley to Yuxu Palace in a phoenix carriage for the wedding, and once the banquet concluded, they would return to Heavenly Phoenix Valley for their wedding night.
Chen Yixin had wanted to prepare a bridal chamber for them within Yuxu Palace, but both Qing Ruo and Lin Yu refused. Being allowed to hold their wedding in Yuxu Palace was already a tremendous honor. Spending their wedding night there as well would have crossed the line.
Chen Yixin suggested it once, but when they refused, he did not press the matter.
Still, he could not help thinking that with his current cultivation, even if Qing Ruo and Lin Yu chose some far more distant location for their wedding night, he would probably still know exactly what was happening. Out of consideration for the hardships those two had endured over countless millennia, however, he refrained from saying so aloud.
“What are you thinking about?” Wenren Li asked, gently rubbing Chen Yixin’s cheek and drawing his wandering thoughts back.
Blinking, Chen Yixin answered honestly. “Do you think we should go teach Elder Brother and Big Brother a few things? Just in case they end up flustered and unprepared.”
Chen Yixin had somehow placed himself in the role of an elder. The worried look on his face left Wenren Li at a complete loss as to how he should respond.
The hand he had been about to withdraw instead continued kneading Chen Yixin’s cheek until the worry there turned into a rosy flush. “They understand.”
If Qing Ruo and Lin Yu still did not understand by now, they truly deserved to be reincarnated and start over.
“I’m just worried… If they understand, then how did they manage to hold back all these years? Anyway, I certainly couldn’t,” Chen Yixin said. Tilting his head, he suddenly licked Wenren Li’s palm. His eyes curved with delight, as though he had gained some enormous advantage.
Wenren Li shook his head helplessly but pulled him tightly into his arms.
A month later, the wedding proceeded as scheduled. A red bridal carriage escorted by sixteen phoenixes departed from Heavenly Phoenix Valley, circled across more than half the Upper Realm, and finally arrived at Yuxu Palace. Gods gathered from every direction, offering their congratulations.
Both Qing Ruo and Lin Yu wore magnificent crimson wedding robes. Hand in hand, they approached, and when they saw Chen Yixin and Wenren Li seated above, they could not help smiling. The scene became all the more joyous and beautiful because of it.
Counting their previous lives, Wenren Li was technically an elder to Qing Ruo and Lin Yu, making his place of honor entirely appropriate. As for Chen Yixin, he had regained the memories of his time as the Soul of the Heavenly River. His status was even more exalted, and he was equally deserving of their bow.
They paid homage to Heaven and Earth, swore their covenant, and drank the ceremonial wine. Thus another pair of divine lovers in the Upper Realm was formally joined.
“I offer this cup to Elder Brother and Big Brother. I wish you both a happy marriage… and a smooth wedding night.”
The toast had sounded perfectly normal at first, but those final words left both Lin Yu and Qing Ruo momentarily stunned. Thinking they must have misunderstood, they had not yet begun questioning themselves when Chen Yixin added, with complete seriousness:
“Yes, I mean that kind of smooth.”
“Drink.”
Wenren Li steadied the wine cup and guided it to Chen Yixin’s lips, then nodded to Lin Yu and Qing Ruo, signaling for them to go drink with the other Immortal Lords and Divine Lords while he himself remained behind to keep an eye on Chen Yixin, lest the pair who ought to have a smooth and successful wedding night end up thrown into chaos instead.
Qing Ruo and Lin Yu’s expressions turned helpless, yet after hearing Chen Yixin say that, the warmth in their hearts seemed to grow by another measure.
The banquet continued for half a month before finally dispersing. As the newlyweds, Qing Ruo and Lin Yu had returned to Heavenly Phoenix Valley shortly after midnight on the wedding day and had not shown themselves again even after half a month. Though Chen Yixin was being watched closely by Wenren Li and still felt somewhat worried, he ultimately refrained from doing anything rash.
With Qing Ruo and Lin Yu’s marriage proceeding smoothly, one of Chen Yixin’s lingering concerns was finally put to rest. Since he was being watched too closely to get up to anything else, he could only drag Wenren Li into studying the Starry River Map together.
“A-Li, have you discovered anything?”
Half-reclining in Wenren Li’s embrace, Chen Yixin casually set the Starry River Map on the stone table beside them and lifted his gaze toward Wenren Li.
Wenren Li’s eyes swept briefly over the Starry River Map before returning to Chen Yixin’s face, clearly indicating that he had not discovered much. Chen Yixin, however, had.
“This does not seem to be the current Starry River Map.”
Wenren Li listened, and Chen Yixin shook his head.
“Not only is it not the current Starry River Map, it is not even an ancient Starry River Map. In fact, it cannot be matched with any star chart that has ever existed throughout history. It should be… a Starry River Map from beyond the Realm Gate.”
“When I found you back then, A-Li, I only found you. The Starry River Map was probably hidden away by the Void Origin, later passing into the hands of Nangong and Dongfang. They then used it to send their incarnations to Taixuan, and eventually it ended up in Han Zichuan’s possession.”
The true outsider from beyond the realm should have been Wenren Li. The power of the stars contained within this Starry River Map was astonishingly strong, strong enough to break through the barrier of the prison realm. Moreover, after being nourished by their divine power during this period, it had begun slowly recovering.
When it fully returned to its peak state, might it be capable of breaking through the barrier of the Realm Gate itself?
“What does A-Rong intend to do by studying it?” Wenren Li continued gazing into Chen Yixin’s eyes. Unless Chen Yixin explained this clearly, he would not permit him to continue researching it.
Chen Yixin did not feel the slightest guilt. He answered honestly.
“I originally wanted to use the power of the stars together with other methods to suppress the Root of Void Origin, but I never expected to uncover all these additional things.”
“Speaking of which, A-Li seems more like Void Origin’s natural nemesis than I do. I can only suppress it, but you can actually grow stronger by using it.”
His own relationship with Void Origin had always been one of mutual rise and fall, whereas Wenren Li could transform Void Origin’s energy into divine power of his own. The fact that he could withstand divine punishment was proof enough of that.
Yet Wenren Li was not satisfied with Chen Yixin’s answer. With a wave of his hand, he intended to put the Starry River Map away. However, the map immediately used the divine power he had released to coil itself around his wrist, and a silver star-shaped mark appeared at the center of it.
Chen Yixin immediately sat upright and seized Wenren Li’s hand, examining it over and over again. Only after confirming that the Starry River Map posed no harm to him did he finally relax.
Then a chain of water coiled from Chen Yixin’s fingertip around Wenren Li’s waist. For some reason, he suddenly worried that the Starry River Map might whisk Wenren Li away.
“It’s fine,” Wenren Li said, pressing the increasingly anxious Chen Yixin back into his arms. He simply could not bear to see him this uneasy.
“This contains the subsequent cultivation method. As for the map itself, it requires ten Silver Star Marks connected together before it can be fully restored.”
As he spoke, Wenren Li lowered his head slightly until his forehead touched Chen Yixin’s. Instantly, the cultivation method for star power was transmitted into Chen Yixin’s sea of consciousness.
“So that’s how it is…”
Chen Yixin opened his eyes, his heart settling somewhat. He rubbed his cheek against Wenren Li’s and tightened the arms already wrapped around him.
“Once we’ve cultivated enough, let’s go take a look at the world where A-Li came from.”
Star power was the true key to crossing the Realm Gate. All the Ancient Gods before them had been searching in the wrong direction.
A trace of hesitation appeared in Wenren Li’s expression, but in the end he still nodded.
If there truly existed a higher realm beyond the Realm Gate, then neither he nor Chen Yixin could avoid it. Only with greater cultivation and greater strength would they possess the power to protect what mattered when calamity suddenly descended.
Several days later, Chen Yixin finally removed the Root of Void Origin from Jiu Yu’s divine soul. Following the original plan, they used both the power of the Heavenly River and the star power that Wenren Li had only recently begun mastering to suppress it.
Jiu Yu remained weak for some time afterward, but his condition eventually stabilized. Chen Yixin also severed the connection between him and Void Origin. From then on, whatever achievements Jiu Yu attained would depend entirely on his own effort and destiny.
The scarlet phoenix flowers bloomed throughout Heavenly Phoenix Valley. Chen Yixin and Wenren Li wandered nearby for a while but refrained from disturbing Qing Ruo and Lin Yu. Instead, they carried two jars of wine and sat beside the Myriad Realms Well and the Three Lives Well.
Chen Yixin felt rather helpless regarding the three wells he had personally created. The Demon Abyss Well had been completely corrupted after being occupied by Void Origin, the Myriad Realms Well had later been used to suppress Qing Ruo, Lin Yu, and the others, and the Three Lives Well had somehow managed to lose the message he had left for himself.
That absurdly simplistic drawing Chen Yixin had once complained about had actually been drawn by him personally, yet the Three Lives Well had somehow gone and lost a corner of it.
“I’ll let bygones be bygones, but from now on, you’d better make me proud.”
The Myriad Realms Well and the Three Lives Well trembled lightly, indicating their obedience. Only then did Chen Yixin pour wine into them.
An Cheng, who had secretly wiped away a bead of sweat, was completely ignored by Chen Yixin. Pulling Wenren Li along, he returned to their bedchamber. Now that all the necessary matters had been settled, they could finally devote themselves properly to cultivation.
For Chen Yixin, proper cultivation meant dual cultivation.
Whenever the two of them engaged in dual cultivation, spiritual rain would fall across the Upper Realm for days at a time. Lands that had once been left barren of immortal energy by war became covered with immortal grasses. The Upper Realm gradually became a true Immortal Realm in every sense.
Naturally, whenever they were in the mood, they would also travel through mortal worlds and cultivation worlds.
For nearly three more epochs afterward, the waters of the Heavenly River stirred once more. Chen Yixin and Wenren Li arrived there together, passed through the Realm Gate, and departed, beginning an entirely new journey of cultivation.
Elio’s Notes: This is finally over. One of the hardest novels we’ve ever translated. Hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a review for the story on Novel Updates here. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding our translation, feel free to leave a comment on any page. We’ll edit and review this story later to make the terminologies consistent and clear once we’re done with Sammy’s Children’s Day. Thank you for following this story! Til next time again.
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