The hazy silver moon of the lower realm had already climbed onto the branches, a thin and curved crescent, just like the two delicate eyebrows of the female demon across from him at this moment.

On Green Pine Ridge, on a cool windy night, in a pavilion woven from pine branches, the elegantly refined white-robed divine lord leaned against a pavilion pillar, his cold eyes gazing at the beautiful female demon who had come uninvited.

Most likely this situation had become far too common over these years. Everywhere he went, almost every night different female demons would come to seduce and tempt him. Fucang Shenjun had grown so accustomed to it that he wouldn’t even bat an eyelid anymore.

The female demon before him looked like a tree spirit. Chun Jun showed no reaction—she wasn’t from the demon race, so he lost all interest and shifted his gaze away, looking toward the crescent moon hanging on the branches.

“This place is Yi River. In ancient times, a legend was passed down here. Would Fucang Shenjun be interested to hear it?”

The female demon tried to move closer to him. Seeing he had no reaction, she joyfully nestled against his tall and powerful body as she sat down, then said in a delicate voice: “In ancient times, there was once Lord Lin who sailed from Yi River here to go to Yangyan. The goddess of the Salt River became infatuated with him, but Lord Lin was quite heartless. He ordered the goddess to tie a blue thread around her waist, then shot her to death with an arrow. Fucang Shenjun, are all men under heaven—whether human, divine, or demon—equally heartless?”

She boldly tried to touch his jade-like cheek, but suddenly a cold gleam flashed before her eyes. The heavenly treasure sword Chun Jun was gripped by this white-robed divine lord and held before him as a barrier. Her beautiful face paled in shock as she quickly retreated several steps, yet heard him say indifferently: “I only know that there is currently a demon from the demon race here who calls himself Demon King Lin, who has forcibly abducted the daughter of Yi River’s deity. Where is he?”

The female demon immediately transformed into a gust of dark wind and whooshed away: “I cannot say, I’ll be killed! Fucang Shenjun, please don’t blame me!”

Fucang didn’t move, continuing to probe every inch of land within a thousand-mile radius with his divine power.

Two thousand years had passed. Of the eighteen Great Lords of the ancient clans, twelve had been executed, and of the remaining six, some had completely submitted, while others had never absorbed turbid energy, and were therefore temporarily spared by the upper realm. Although there were still quite a few remnant demon race members in the lower realm now, most were scattered demons, nothing to be feared.

As early as a thousand years ago, the decree to exterminate demons throughout the heavens had been withdrawn, and the upper realm had gradually returned to the singing, dancing, and peaceful days from before the calamity of the Sea of Bitter Regrets.

This peace had all been exchanged for by a princess’s sacrifice at the Sea of Bitter Regrets, though she herself had absolutely no awareness of this aspect.

Chun Jun, held in his hand, was much colder than in the past. Fucang used his divine consciousness to peer inside it—that slender figure clothed in soft silk robes was still sleeping. She had slept for two thousand years—was she still not going to wake up?

Fucang frowned and drew in a breath. Back then, Xuan Yi had slept in the Heavenly Palace for a full eight months with no sign of waking. The sentimental Zhongshan Dijun shed so many tears each day they could be measured in buckets. Even after announcing it to the world and Xuan Yi becoming worshipped like a savior, it couldn’t heal the fragile heartbreak of the emperor.

Afterward, the perpetually unreliable Baize Dijun came up with an idea that seemed even more unreliable, saying that Xuan Yi being placed in a location rich with pure energy would probably be extremely beneficial to her. Speaking of where pure energy was most abundant, naturally it was inside the Chun Jun sword, which had been forged using countless divine powers and supreme treasures back then. The meaning was that if Xuan Yi was installed in the sword, she would wake up someday.

Fucang had always suspected this was Baize Dijun spouting nonsense, probably to comfort the near-collapse Zhongshan Dijun. But even so, he still placed the Dragon Princess inside Chun Jun, and from then on kept her with him day and night, never parting—truly taking her everywhere he went.

Wake up quickly. The five lakes and four seas, three thousand scenic views, the ends of the earth—he didn’t want to see them all alone. Without her delicate and soft voice, it was truly too lonely.

The night wind gradually grew stronger. Fucang looked toward where the wind was rising—gray demon mist was vaguely gathering. Chun Jun emitted a low humming sound. It was the demon race.

Since the decree to exterminate demons throughout the heavens was withdrawn, the War Department of Yuhua Hall had also been withdrawn, returning to the former war general organization. He had been assigned under the command of the Purple Tenuity Great Emperor, specifically responsible for exterminating the remnant troublemaking demons.

A few days ago, the Yi River water god had submitted a petition to the Southern Heavenly Gate, saying his daughter had been abducted by a demon from the demon race calling himself Demon King Lin. He accepted the petition and had circled around Yi River for three days, finally waiting out this demon king.

As the demon mist grew more and more abundant, Chun Jun’s humming sound also grew louder and louder. Fucang threw it out with one motion. The fine golden light was countless times faster than before, instantly transforming into a sheet of golden tidewater that almost covered the entire Yi River. That mass of gray demon mist was so frightened it immediately shrank back into the darkness. The tidewater then transformed back into a small golden dragon that followed closely behind, winding and twisting around the mountain col, and indeed discovered a cave dwelling within the mountain’s belly.

The golden dragon suddenly became incomparably huge, smashing through the cave dwelling head-on and biting down on the Demon King Lin who had nowhere to escape. Before it could drag him more than a few zhang on the ground, he screamed once and turned into black ash. Chun Jun resentfully curled up into a ball—the demons encountered these years were all too weak, and it was quite unsatisfied.

With a thought from Fucang, the golden dragon rapidly circled once inside the cave dwelling, breaking open a vermillion door. From inside came a woman’s startled cry, her body brimming with pure energy—presumably this was the Yi River water god’s daughter.

The golden dragon opened its giant mouth and gently bit down on the Yi River goddess. Before her second startled cry could come out, she only felt the scenery before her eyes change dramatically. The next moment she landed in a pavilion woven from pine branches. The silver moon hung like a hook, and the white-robed divine lord in the pavilion, refined and elegant, gracefully stood up and bowed in greeting: “Greetings. Allow me to escort the goddess back to the water god’s residence.”

The radiant goddess blinked her eyes, then lowered her head with a blush.

Upon returning to the Yi River water god’s residence, the water god expressed a thousand thanks. Seeing his daughter’s cheeks flushed with a rosy glow, her eyes rippling with spring waves, constantly stealing glances at the white-robed divine lord across from them, he said: “Fucang Shenjun has labored for three days at Yi River. If you don’t mind the simplicity of my humble residence, please stay and rest for the night.”

Originally he hadn’t held much hope—Fucang was Qing Di’s only son, a deity of the upper realm, and had gained great fame for resolving the hidden danger of the Sea of Bitter Regrets back then, so he probably couldn’t possibly take a liking to the daughter of his small water god. Who knew this noble divine lord would actually nod: “In that case, I’ll trouble the water god.”

There’s hope! The water god and his daughter were overjoyed.

After being entertained to a dinner by the exceptionally enthusiastic water god family, Fucang returned to the guest room and sat cross-legged on the soft shell bed, stroking the cold Chun Jun in his hand. Because of exterminating demons in the lower realm, he hadn’t seen the Dragon Princess for three days. The water god’s residence was overflowing with pure energy, unlike the turbid energy of the lower realm, so he could finally look at her.

Reciting the true words, that soft and slender body fell into his embrace. Fucang used his fingertips to brush aside the disheveled hair on her face and lowered his head to gaze at her. Her hair had grown longer, but the dragon scales still hadn’t grown out. However, he could sense an extremely faint trace of her swaying, fluctuating divine power—it had been there since two hundred years ago.

It was simply like a newborn Zhuyin Dragon God.

He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. And so the scene that the Yi River goddess—who had dressed herself up to be incomparably charming and glamorous, full of hope—saw upon just entering was: the white-robed divine lord holding a goddess who had appeared from who knows where, intimate beyond measure.

She nearly cried. When she saw that goddess’s pure and alluring beauty, she really did cry.

Seeing her barging into the guest room like this, Fucang couldn’t help but frown. His always enchanting voice suddenly turned cold: “What business does the goddess have?”

The Yi River goddess wept and choked out: “No… nothing… I came to deliver tea and refreshments…”

Fucang was about to stand when suddenly the body in his arms moved slightly. Her thick, long lashes trembled several times, and those eyes that had been closed for two thousand years slowly opened. Their gaze, still carrying confusion and languor, fell upon his face and quietly gazed for a long time. Then he heard her heavenly voice sound by his ear: “Senior Apprentice Brother Fucang.”

His heart, which had always been cold and hard as stone, was now trembling violently. His arms opened wide and tightly embraced her.

Not knowing how much time had passed, he heard that heavenly voice sound once more: “Where are the tea and refreshments?”