Kong Hou was someone who loved liveliness, so she often went shopping, bought things together with her martial sisters, and enjoyed playing and frolicking with her fellow disciples. Those who hadn’t stayed in the imperial palace of the mortal realm could never know how terrifying coldness and desolation could be.

Within the layered palace walls, no one actively spoke with her, much less played and frolicked together. The palace attendants’ gazes when looking at her weren’t looking at a living person, but at a mobile tool. Those who lived in such an environment for a long time, after escaping, became very afraid of returning to such circumstances.

After falling into the small world, Kong Hou thought she would be afraid, but looking at the boundless blue sky and lush grasslands, she surprisingly felt no fear. Perhaps the ten years behind the Constellation Gate had made her increasingly able to endure loneliness, or perhaps it was because she knew Huan Zong was waiting for her outside the gate. Though they weren’t in the same world, she believed that if something happened to her, Huan Zong would definitely break open the small world’s passage and rush in to save her.

Those who were favored always had nothing to fear. Before Huan Zong, Kong Hou knew she was the one favored.

During the first twenty years in the small world, Kong Hou recalled her entire life countless times—all the people she had met. What she ultimately thought of was the scene of Master bringing her out of the imperial palace, and the scene of Huan Zong smiling as he released her hand, letting her enter the small world.

Master redeemed her life without freedom.

Huan Zong redeemed her heart that wanted to do something for the common people.

What Master gave her was love. What Huan Zong gave was also love. What her martial brothers and sisters gave her was love. Even the vegetables, fruits, and smiles the people of Yong City gave her were love. Almost all the beauty in her life came from the cultivation world. She didn’t want them to be harmed by evil cultivators, or even lose their lives because of it.

She loved Huan Zong, loved everyone in her sect, and also loved those adorable people of Yong City.

This kind of emotion shouldn’t be narrow—it wasn’t about choosing one person and abandoning another.

She wasn’t the woman in red robes, wasn’t Queen Qingluo, wasn’t Hongyan. Each person encountered different people, received different emotions, and had different endings. She didn’t want to apply others’ emotional endings to herself—that would be binding her own emotions, destiny, and even spirit.

There were no completely identical people in the world, and no path that never changed.

From Nascent Soul to Out-of-Body Stage, Kong Hou spent twenty years. From Out-of-Body Stage to Divine Transformation Stage, Kong Hou spent a full sixty years. During these sixty years, she began missing Huan Zong, her sect, and the various dishes in the sect’s dining hall. She wondered how many new dishes the dining hall and Wuwei Manor had researched together by the time she emerged.

The more she missed them, the clearer-minded Kong Hou became. If she wanted this beauty to continue indefinitely, she could only keep becoming stronger to protect everything she possessed.

Strength, courage, small love, great love, persistence, protection—these were things Kong Hou gradually comprehended on her cultivation path. This was the principle Yunhua Sect wanted disciples to understand.

In the last twenty years, her body madly absorbed the small world’s spiritual energy. Her body was like a Taotie that could never eat its fill. Finally, in the ninety-fifth year, she was disdainfully thrown out early by the small world.

The moment she saw Huan Zong, Kong Hou couldn’t care whether the clothes on her body were beautiful or whether her uncombed hair met expectations. She reached out to wrap her arms around his neck. In the small world, she had already imagined the grand ceremony of becoming dao companions with Huan Zong a hundred times. Upon seeing the real person, how could she hold back?

“The eighth of next month is an auspicious day. You two can get married.” Wang Su looked at the jade wall that had shattered into pieces. His already cold face became even colder. “Moon Star Sect is remote and bitterly cold. We won’t keep you two.”

Kong Hou secretly used spiritual energy to probe Huan Zong’s meridians. The meridians were robust and powerful, and his spiritual platform had been repaired, leaving only a tiny crack in the middle. She jumped down from Huan Zong’s embrace as if nothing had happened and bowed respectfully. “Thank you, Sect Master.”

“No need.” Wang Su’s gaze fell on the two of them. He shifted his gaze away and walked outside the hall. A sentence drifted in faintly: “Just don’t resent me in the future.”

“Is he driving us away?” Kong Hou tucked the hair floating by her cheeks behind her ear and turned to look at Huan Zong with a smile. “Did you miss me?”

“I did.” The corners of Huan Zong’s mouth showed a smile. The spiritual energy on Kong Hou’s body could already be released and retracted freely. At first glance, the cultivation on her body didn’t seem as high as before she entered the small world, but Huan Zong knew this was reaching the realm of returning to simplicity and truth—only then could one achieve this level.

“I missed you too. The small world was too boring. Not only were there no people, besides flowers, grass, and trees, there wasn’t even a living creature.” Kong Hou made a gesture of ten. “In the last few decades, I thought of you at least ten times every day. I even thought countless times about what kind of ceremonial robes I should wear and what kind of hair ornaments I should wear if we held a Dao-binding ceremony.”

“Whatever ceremonial robes you want to wear, whatever hair ornaments, I’ll refine them for you.” Huan Zong laughed softly. Kong Hou’s eyes were clear, lively, and vivid. A hundred years in the small world hadn’t changed her much.

The two hadn’t seen each other in many years, yet it was as if they had never parted. Their feelings were deep and intense. Kong Hou stood on tiptoe and secretly kissed his cheek, her smile like she had taken great advantage: “Sect Master Wang Su said the eighth of next month is an auspicious day. He definitely wouldn’t deceive us. So what’s today’s date?”

“Today is the first.”

“Ah…” Kong Hou said disappointedly. “Doesn’t that mean there’s still more than a month before we can hold the Dao-binding ceremony?”

“Ahem.” Qingyuan outside the hall cleared his throat a few times and walked in: “One month is just right. Our two sects will have time to prepare and send out invitations to guests.”

“Martial Uncle Qingyuan, why are you here?” Seeing Qingyuan, Kong Hou was somewhat surprised.

Qingyuan explained the matter of staying at Moon Star Sect these past years, including that two medicinal ingredients still hadn’t been found. After Kong Hou finished listening, she grabbed Huan Zong’s hand, took out the delicacies Yunhua Sect had sent him from his storage ring, sat cross-legged, and began eating: “I’m starving.”

Someone who loved food, who for the sake of cultivation hadn’t eaten anything good for a hundred years—what kind of spirit was this? It was the fearless spirit of selfless dedication for a beautiful cultivation world.

Watching Kong Hou’s eating manner, Qingyuan silently turned his head away. It seemed Daoist Zhong Xi truly loved Kong Hou. Otherwise, even at a time like this, how could he still gaze at her with tender affection? Even he, as her master, didn’t want to look more than twice.

Huan Zong crouched beside her, using a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth, his gaze so gentle it was as if he wanted to tuck Kong Hou into his heart.

“Since there’s still more than a month, let’s make a trip to Wuwang Sea.” Kong Hou turned to look at Huan Zong. “My luck is so good—what Liuguang Sect couldn’t find, maybe with me there we can find it?”

Qingyuan: “…”

Where did this inexplicable self-confidence come from?

“No…” Before Huan Zong could finish his refusal, Kong Hou interrupted him.

“Huan Zong, you’ve changed. You weren’t like this before. Before, no matter what I said, you would indulge me. Now just going once to Wuwang Sea, and you already disagree.” Kong Hou took the opportunity to touch Huan Zong’s face, pretending to be serious: “Have you gotten another woman outside?”

Qingyuan: “…”

He truly couldn’t understand young people in love nowadays. He really was old.

“No.” Huan Zong laughed helplessly. “It’s just that the Dao-binding ceremony is imminent. Didn’t you want beautiful ceremonial robes and jewelry?”

“There’s still Grand Martial Aunt Qiushuang. She’ll definitely refine the most beautiful clothes for us.” Kong Hou grasped Huan Zong’s hand. “After we become dao companions, you’ll still have to refine countless ceremonial robes for me. This time is a rare opportunity—be magnanimous and yield to the elders.”

“All right.” Hearing Kong Hou’s twisted logic, Huan Zong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But Kong Hou was right—when it came to her, he couldn’t help but be endlessly indulgent.

Seeing the two young people had already decided to go to Wuwang Sea, Qingyuan didn’t stop them. He just stuffed them with many pills. These pills were priceless, with clear pill patterns—rare supreme grade items.

“Go and return early.” Qingyuan said. “By the time you return, the wedding hall and wedding garments will definitely be prepared. No need to worry. Buy more seafood at the seaside and bring it back. Everyone in the sect likes eating these things, and it’s cheaper to buy at the seaside.”

“All right.” Kong Hou nodded. “I’ll definitely buy more to bring back.”

The emotions of parting disappeared amidst discussions of where to buy cheaper, more authentic seafood. Huan Zong couldn’t help but think this was probably Yunhua Sect’s most magical ability—no matter what the topic, it could eventually shift to eating, drinking, and playing.

Leaving Moon Star Sect, there were still many people queuing at the foot of the mountain to get numbers. Lin Hu drove a carriage waiting by the roadside. Seeing them, he waved.

“Young Master, Miss Kong Hou.” Lin Hu noticed Kong Hou’s cultivation had already returned to simplicity and truth but didn’t ask more. He jumped down from the carriage. “Return to Yunhua Sect or Liuguang Sect?”

“No, go south of Wuwang Sea.” Huan Zong pulled Kong Hou’s hand onto the carriage.

Lin Hu’s expression changed slightly. He nodded: “All right.”

Liuguang Sect’s disciples had searched Wuwang Sea for ten years without finding half a trace of a dragon. Instead, they heard dragon mythology stories told by local fishermen. The stories these fishermen told were all different—some said the dragon was golden, some said blue, others said crimson red. It was simply as if imagined.

The horse neighed as it bore the carriage and flew into the air. Kong Hou picked up the small saplings placed on the stand. Ever since she brought these seedlings out from the secret realm and planted them in flowerpots, they didn’t seem to have grown much. At most, the tender shoots that had suddenly sprouted at the beginning had now grown into small branches.

After watering them with half a bottle of spiritual liquid, Kong Hou placed them on the stand and stopped managing them. She and Huan Zong hadn’t seen each other in many years—there was too much to say.

“I wonder what style of dresses has been popular in the cultivation world these ten years?”

“Please rest assured, Miss Kong Hou. Following Young Master’s orders, I’ve already bought the popular dresses from each year.”

Hearing this, Kong Hou buried her head in Huan Zong’s embrace, saying cheerfully: “Huan Zong, you truly are the world’s best man.”

Embracing her waist with one hand, Huan Zong said: “If I weren’t the world’s best man, how could I be worthy of the very best you?”

“So we’re a perfect match.” Kong Hou pointed at the sky: “A match made in heaven.” Then pointed at the ground: “A pair forged by earth.”

Sitting outside, Lin Hu shook his head, secretly sighing that from the perspective of shamelessness, these two truly were a perfect match. Who said only women’s hearts were rich and colorful? Clearly men were the same! Before Young Master met Miss Kong Hou, who could have imagined he had such a shameless side?

“Has Miaobi Ke published any new books in these ten years? Did Senior Lin buy them for me?”

“No.” Huan Zong blinked. “Perhaps Miaobi Ke has been in closed-door cultivation these years, so no new books have come out. Don’t worry—when his storybooks come out, I’ll accompany you to buy them together.”

“All right.” Kong Hou felt somewhat regretful, but Huan Zong’s embrace was warm and comfortable. Once she nestled in, she didn’t want to come out. Before long, she dozed off in a daze. These years of cultivating day and night without being able to completely relax her spirit—now she could finally completely let go of everything and let both body and mind be in the most relaxed state.

The wind blew the golden bells hanging on the carriage. The bells jingled. Huan Zong looked at the young woman sleeping unconsciously in his arms, smiled, shook his head, sighed, and waved his hand to use spiritual energy to stop the bell sounds.

Seeing no more sounds from the carriage, Lin Hu leaned against the carriage wall without making a sound. Having stayed at Moon Star Sect for these ten years, when descending the mountain again, the spiritual energy on his body already circulated completely normally, and even his cultivation had been fully restored.

As someone who could listen to the Heavenly Dao, Wang Su almost had no ordinary human emotions. But to treat Young Master, Wang Su actually personally went to Jiufeng Sect once, making them agree to hand over two drops of phoenix blood. Looking at the entire cultivation world, aside from Moon Star Sect’s sect master, probably no one could make Jiufeng Sect willingly hand over such precious items.

The flying horse that ate spiritual grass for food had very fast speed. In less than two days, it flew to a small town south of Wuwang Sea, and Kong Hou had also slept for two days and nights. She lifted the carriage window curtain and leaned on the window frame to look outside. The sea surface was very calm. On the beach, there were children barefoot picking up crabs or other things.

A bit farther away on flat ground, people were drying fish and fishing nets. Kong Hou even smelled the fishy, salty smell of the sea.

The carriage descended outside the gates of this somewhat dilapidated-looking city. Flying horses were rare and attracted many children’s attention. The adults seemed afraid the children would anger them, nodding and bowing as they hurriedly carried the children away with quick steps.

“These ordinary people seem very afraid of us?” Kong Hou looked at the fearful, cowering gazes of the surrounding people, feeling vaguely strange in her heart. In the towns she had visited, although common people held the cultivation world in awe, they weren’t afraid to this extent.

The small town before her eyes was dilapidated and run-down. The city walls had potholes everywhere, and some places were even missing chunks. Lin Hu realized something was wrong and used a spell to conceal the carriage. The three of them walked to the city gate.

Compared to the dilapidated city gate, the gatekeeper guard was quite spirited. He wasn’t wearing armor but a set of green robes embroidered with strange patterns. Seeing Kong Hou and the other two approach, his eyes brightened. He reached out to block their path and extended his hand.

“Men, five spirit stones. Women, three spirit stones.”

The gatekeeper’s attitude was arrogant, his gaze frivolously circling Kong Hou’s face twice. Who knew where this ignorant young couple came from—without half a bit of cultivation, they dared run here. This place had sparse spiritual energy and harsh living conditions. They hadn’t seen a cultivator pass through in decades. Their Golden Dragon Hall was the only cultivation sect here. Here, they were kings, they were heaven.

Although this young couple had no cultivation, the fine items they wore were quite numerous. Letting such fat fish pass would simply be condemning his conscience.

“I fear having money in fate but no life to spend it…” A man wearing a straw hat hummed a song as he approached, looking extremely leisurely.

The gatekeeper glared at the man with displeasure, his face full of ferocity.

“Uncle Xianyu?” Kong Hou felt she and this salted fish-selling uncle might truly have fate. Otherwise, how could she walk to such a remote, dilapidated small town and still encounter him?