The cloud wall was thin. Passing through it only made the body slightly cool, seemingly no different from passing through an ordinary cloud layer.

The scenery before them hadn’t changed much. Feng Miaojun and Yun Ya still stood on a golden tree trunk as wide as the flat ground beneath their feet. The branches, high and low, were more massive than mountains, ending in lush green clusters of leaves.

Where was the legendary Immortal Realm? Was it at the end of the tree trunk?

The two hadn’t walked more than a few steps when the dense canopy above rustled. Two great birds, one cyan and one white, descended gracefully and slowly folded their wings as they landed before them.

They both stood over two zhang tall (about six and a half meters), with long necks, long legs, golden beaks, and iron talons. Their heads were adorned with phoenix crowns, and their bodies were pure in color without a single mixed hue. They looked extremely majestic, though they were different species.

Feng Miaojun noticed the white bird had double pupils in each eye and exclaimed involuntarily: “A Chongming Bird!”

Chongming Birds were rare and powerful precious beasts skilled in controlling wind and thunder. The double pupils in each eye were their distinctive feature, but they were almost extinct in the mortal realm. Feng Miaojun possessed the Demon King’s memories, yet had only seen two of them, the tallest not exceeding one zhang, far less imposing than this magnificent one before her. Moreover, she knew Chongming Birds were all crimson red, yet this one was snow white, making it extraordinarily rare.

The other cyan bird had a sleek and beautiful form with a long, layered tail. It appeared to be the legendary—

“Phoenix Luan?”

Yun Ya and Feng Miaojun exchanged glances, not expecting to encounter two ancient precious birds immediately after passing through the cloud wall. In the mortal realm, these birds once appeared in temples, accepting the kowtows of mortals.

“We are the guides,” the white Chongming Bird spoke in a clear voice. “The Divine God requests your presence. Follow us.”

The person who wanted to meet them was the Divine God!

The two reacted but did not show shock. When the Realm God mentioned it earlier, they understood: who else could have the Realm God deliver messages on their behalf, who else would be waiting in the upper realm?

Feng Miaojun even felt somewhat eager deep down. So many mysteries might only find answers with the Divine God.

The two divine birds lowered themselves, bowing their noble heads.

Yun Ya’s heart injury was severe, so Feng Miaojun helped him climb onto the Chongming Bird’s back before mounting the cyan bird herself. The two great birds flapped their wings with a whoosh and flew upward.

The demon beasts of the mortal realm, no matter how fast, were only like Big Black or Three Flowers. These divine birds, however, didn’t need to ride the wind to soar tens of thousands of li upward.

The scenery receded so quickly that it was impossible to take it all in. The divine birds flew higher and higher. When the two looked back, they were dizzy and disoriented, unable to regain their senses for a long while.

They had already flown very far. Looking back, they could see a great world nestled among the dense branches and leaves.

That was the mortal realm, where they had come from!

Feng Miaojun recognized the outlines of several continents floating on the azure ocean, covered with fresh green, with white clouds drifting in the sky. This scene resembled the snow globe she once kept at home.

She could also see the Heavenly Ladder, but the immensely magnificent Heavenly Ladder in the mortal realm was not a divine tree.

It was merely a branch extending from the divine tree.

This branch extended from the divine tree, pierced into the forbidden sea of the mortal world, reached the bottom, and steadily supported the entire world.

Yun Ya murmured: “So our world belongs to the divine tree.”

Before the Demon King attacked the Realm God, the Heavenly Ladder still existed. This meant that the mortal world they came from was originally supported by the divine tree. And the Heavenly Ladder… the Heavenly Ladder was a bridge and passage, connecting the mortal world with the divine tree’s trunk.

One might as well consider their world as a part of the divine tree’s canopy.

No wonder the Realm God said that even if the Demon King had penetrated the cloud wall of the mortal world back then, they couldn’t have reached the Immortal Realm. This was the reason.

“The Divine God created seven realms, connected by the divine tree,” the white Chongming Bird explained. “Your Jambudvipa is the first realm. Those who pass through the Three-Seven Heavenly Tribulation can ascend to the second realm, the Immortal Realm. Above that, there are five more heavenly realms.”

The divine birds had flown for so long, yet they had only left the first realm. They were flying up along the main trunk, never leaving the range of the divine tree, like fish swimming through coral reefs.

This was beyond mere astonishment; mortal words were powerless before the divine tree.

Eventually, the divine birds folded their wings and stopped, their sharp beaks pointing to a tree hollow shrouded by green leaves: “Enter here.”

The hollow was dark, but after walking a few steps, there was light.

Following the light, they reached the end of the tunnel.

Outside, the spring sun shone brightly. Their steps startled a butterfly resting on a globe flower.

Yun Ya discovered they were in a courtyard with two-story corridors on all four sides and blue sky and white clouds overhead. The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, with moss growing in corners and crevices where light rarely reached.

He turned around but couldn’t see the path they had come from. Instead, behind them stood an old banyan tree so thick it would take three people to encircle it. The old tree had fresh buds sprouting from its branches, but in its trunk was a large hollow big enough for an adult to enter by stooping.

Had they just come out from this hollow? Yun Ya reached out to touch it—solid, with no passage.

He had seen too many strange things to be bothered, but when he turned his head, he saw Feng Miaojun standing there dumbfounded, her face full of bewilderment.

She rarely showed such an expression.

“What’s wrong? Is there something amiss about this place?”

“I’m quite familiar with this place,” she revealed with a wry smile, then let out a long sigh as if her chest had been tightly constricted. “This is my foster mother’s estate in Pingxiang Village of Zice. Every New Year, I would measure my height against this tree and draw a line.”

Sure enough, there were several black lines on the tree trunk, some slightly crooked.

Yun Ya was also stunned. An’an couldn’t be mistaken, but how had they left the mortal world, ridden divine birds for so long, only to return to this place?

Finally, he pointed to the redwood door ahead: “Let’s open the door; perhaps the answer lies behind it.”

Both had a premonition that behind this door lay the truth to all the mysteries.

“This leads to the garden. The flowers in bloom this season are Michelia,” Feng Miaojun steadied herself before reaching out to push the door.

“Creeeeak.”

Behind the redwood door was indeed a garden.

Outside the estate were vast farmlands where the Xu family grew various delicate flowers. Except in winter, the fragrance of flowers could be smelled beyond the walls in every season.

Earlier in the courtyard, she had already caught the scent of Michelia flowers.

The garden was a riot of colors, with bees and butterflies flitting about, clusters of brocade everywhere, as if spring would never end. Then, both their gazes fell on a pavilion beside a rockery.

A person sat in the pavilion with clear porcelain laid out on the table. This person gently tapped the thin, fine lid against the porcelain bowl, making a light ding sound that lingered melodiously in this sunny garden.

The voice from the pavilion was almost equally clear and pleasant: “Please be seated.”

Feng Miaojun and Yun Ya exchanged glances, both concealing their surprise as they stepped into the pavilion and sat side by side.

Before them was a woman dressed in cloud-like robes, her dark hair loosely gathered, with only a goldfish hairpin adorning it. Strangely, despite Feng Miaojun and Yun Ya’s cultivation and sharp eyes, they hadn’t noticed her immediately upon entering the garden.

Her presence was too natural, too gentle as if she had merged with the garden.

The red clay stove had boiled the water, and she unhurriedly brewed tea, her movements fluid and graceful, as if the tea-drinking parties had been close friends for many years.

Feng Miaojun thought this woman was very beautiful, especially the moistness and clarity in her almond eyes, which she had never seen in another person. Yet if asked to draw her, that face would be blurry. Though they were only three feet apart, she couldn’t sketch the woman’s features.

Was this the Divine God, the one who had created heaven and earth?

“Please.” The woman personally handed hot tea to them. The tea was bright yellow, but its fragrance was familiar to Feng Miaojun after a long absence.

This teacup was not the covered bowl commonly used in the mortal world.

Feng Miaojun was astonished: “Tieguanyin?”

The woman smiled: “Indeed.”

The mortal world certainly had tea, thousands of varieties, but there could never be Tieguanyin!

Feng Miaojun felt a lump in her throat. The past events in another world now seemed as distant as a dream.

But this cup of Tieguanyin reminded her that it wasn’t a dream!

With thousands of words to say, she didn’t know where to begin. Feng Miaojun clenched her fists and finally asked softly: “Why have you received us?”

They had just passed through the cloud wall, and the Divine God immediately sent two divine birds to meet them, obviously knowing their whereabouts like the back of her hand.

Huh, what was strange about that? Shouldn’t a deity know everything?

Yun Ya sensed her tension and quietly held her hand under the table.

The Divine God handed over a document: “This is the contract we established. Now that the conditions have been met, it can be fulfilled. Please review it.”

The material of the paper was unknown. Feng Miaojun and Yun Ya opened it and glanced at it, their expressions changing to something particularly strange. Yun Ya finally couldn’t help but ask in surprise: “When was this contract established?”

The document had clauses and signatures, but no date!

“Hmm.” The Divine God appeared to ponder. “By mortal calendar, ninety-nine years ago.”

Ninety-nine years ago, she was badass enough to establish a contract with the Divine God? Feng Miaojun was stunned for a while, finally smiling bitterly: “I don’t know.”

Neither Feng Miaojun’s memories nor the Demon King’s had any recollection of this.

“It’s not surprising. All your memories as the Demon King stop at the Interface Realm. You don’t remember anything after that.” Years ago, the Demon King leader condensed her soul power into a ring stored in the Interface Realm, and the memories left behind only went up to the day the Demon King attacked the city. The subsequent three hundred years were a blank to the current Feng Miaojun.

The Divine God leisurely sipped her clear tea: “Ninety-nine years ago, Cao Budao wanted to extend his dying wife’s life. This was against heavenly law, so you automatically sought him out, substituted his wife’s birth date and time, and followed the ghost officials to the underworld to find me.”

So the soul that replaced Cao Budao’s wife in the netherworld was the Demon King leader! Not only was there a surprise in Yun Ya’s eyes, but Feng Miaojun herself was also greatly shocked: “Find you?”

The Hell Realm was different from the mortal world and did not exist in the present world. It was guarded by deities, so the Divine God could naturally come and go as she pleased there.

But Feng Miaojun didn’t understand why her past self would seek out the Divine God.

She had led the Demon King tribe to attack the Realm God, causing the only passage from the mortal realm to the Immortal Realm to disappear. Wouldn’t the Divine God be furious? Wasn’t she asking for death by delivering herself to the Divine God’s doorstep?

“Yes, find me,” the Divine God said languidly. “By then, the Haoli Empire had been destroyed for over two hundred years, and you and Yun Ya had been fighting for over two hundred years, yet were still unable to rescue the Demon King tribe. You finally had a great awakening—the Demon King tribe was not tolerated by heavenly law, and if you wanted to continue defying heaven, you would not succeed even after another two hundred or two thousand years of struggle.” Her voice carried a sense of admiration. “I admire you for thinking of making a deal with me.”

The clauses in the document were very clear:

The Demon King leader would help reopen the Heavenly Path to the mortal realm at all costs. In return, heavenly law would not pursue the enormous crimes committed by the Demon King tribe and would acknowledge their place in Jambudvipa, allowing the Demon King tribe the right to ascend to the upper six realms in sequence!

“I see.” Feng Miaojun closed her eyes, feeling that nothing in the world could be more absurd than this. “You couldn’t directly intervene in the mortal realm or directly awaken the Realm God.”

The Divine God smiled slightly, waved her hand, and the surroundings changed, instantly shifting from a riot of flowers to the desolation of autumn.

Yun Ya reached out to pluck a small flower, watching it wither in his palm.

This was no illusion.

In another blink, the garden was full of withered branches and fallen leaves, and snow began to fall from the sky.

“Beyond the seven realms, all things follow my will. But within the seven realms, heaven and earth have laws, and I cannot interfere lightly.” The Divine God tapped the table, and suddenly the snow receded, vegetation revived, and in less than twenty breaths, the garden was flourishing again, every flower blooming luxuriantly.

Meanwhile, a small rock on the rockery grew limbs, with two small flowers sprouting on its forehead. It jumped into the pavilion, quickly bowed to the Divine God, and then scurried away somewhere.

The Divine God sighed softly: “I used to wander Jambudvipa, experiencing love and hatred freely, but after becoming the heavenly way, I ironically cannot act as I wish anymore.”

With cultivation at her current level, Feng Miaojun certainly knew that the Divine God before her and the Realm God guarding the Heavenly Ladder couldn’t easily interfere in mortal affairs—this was the constancy of heaven’s ways.

The laws of heaven and earth, from the day they were born, couldn’t be arbitrarily altered, not even by the Divine God herself.

Therefore, no matter how much the Divine God wished for the Realm God’s return and the restoration of the Heavenly Ladder, she couldn’t directly intervene to destroy the Demon King tribe—even if they were like ants in her eyes—but had to rely on beings within the mortal world to accomplish it.

This was the bargaining chip that gave the Demon King leader the courage to negotiate with the Divine God. She knew the Divine God would certainly agree.

The Demon King tribe was born in the chaos of heaven and earth, never recognized by the six paths, and had no right to ascend to the Immortal Realm, even though their power once far surpassed worldly beings. In terms of another world, they were undocumented. Didn’t the Demon King leader lead her people to attack the Heavenly Ladder years ago to find a path to heaven for her tribe?

Seeking to establish such a contract with the Divine God was driven by the same purpose.

Through all the twists and turns, she had never abandoned her ideals and goals; she was determined to find a way out for the Demon King tribe.

Feng Miaojun’s fingertips glided over each word on the document, her heart gradually settling.

“Of course, I would agree. This contract was written with water from Yellow Springs. After the fall of Haoli Nation, you encouraged people to fight for fragments of the Realm God’s altar as national treasures, preventing the Realm God’s return.” The Divine God was also watching her. “The one who tied the bell must untie it. This chaos began with you and should end with you.”

Feng Miaojun met her eyes calmly: “I’ve fulfilled the conditions on this document. The Divine God should honor the agreement now.”

“Of course.” The Divine God smiled slightly, rolled up the document, brought it to her red lips, and whispered, “Go find Huairou and tell him to comply.” With that, she released the document, which disappeared with a whoosh.

The Divine God spread her hands: “Done. The Realm God will release the Demon King tribe. From this moment, the Demon King tribe is also a member of the mortal realm, equally qualified to ascend the Heavenly Ladder. The Heavenly Tribulation examines merit; henceforth, you must guide your tribespeople well.”

Feng Miaojun stood up, bowed respectfully to her, and solemnly said: “Thank you!”

From the day of their birth, the Demon King tribe had fought for this qualification for over a thousand years, and finally, the dream was realized. From now on, they would be recognized by heavenly law and no longer hunted by all.

The hardships involved were truly beyond description to outsiders.

The Divine God smiled as she accepted the bow.

Gaining legitimacy was never an easy matter.

She was very amiable. Feng Miaojun paused for a moment before finally asking: “I clearly remember coming from another world, not being a native of Jambudvipa. How did I end up becoming the Demon King?” The Demon King tribe were natives of Jambudvipa, but she came from another world—there was clearly a paradox here.

Yun Ya looked at her with amazement: “Another world?” This was the first time he had heard her mention it!

His gaze was intense, full of indescribable meaning. Feng Miaojun felt her face grow warm under his stare and unconsciously gave a light cough: “Initially, I firmly believed my soul had crossed over from another world. When I first opened my eyes as ‘Princess Changle,’ I saw you at the Dragon Ascending Pool.” Thinking back to those days stirred many emotions. “But this matter was so strange that I never mentioned it to a second person.”

This was also why she had firmly believed she was not the Demon King.

“This stemmed from the trouble you brought with you,” the Divine God sighed lightly. “Before you shed your cultivation and infiltrated Yingshui City, didn’t you make a deadly oath to your tribespeople? Do you remember?”

“Yes.” Feng Miaojun could recite it by heart. “I swore to rescue my people and divide the world!”

“That oath contradicted our agreement. But after walking the world for over two hundred years, it had become a brand deep in your soul that even the Waters of Forgetfulness from the netherworld couldn’t erase.” The Divine God gently applauded. “The King of Hell said that among the countless beings entering reincarnation, even the most stubborn obsessions would dissipate before the Waters of Forgetfulness—except yours.”

The firmness of her belief in saving her people was so strong that even the Waters of Forgetfulness couldn’t erase it—the Divine God actually admired this.

She smiled slightly, clearly in a good mood: “With the oath unremoved, your words and actions would necessarily be bound by it. So I devised a method—sending your soul to be reborn in my homeland, first severing your chain of causality, then using the mortal dust of another world to wash away your obsession, hoping you could escape its influence.”

“You also came from…” Despite being mentally prepared, these few words still shocked Feng Miaojun greatly. She and Yun Ya exchanged glances, both seeing the astonishment in each other’s eyes.

Seeing the Tieguanyin tea on the table, Feng Miaojun knew the Divine God had some connection to her world, but she didn’t imagine it would be so deep—

The supreme Divine God actually came from another world!

The beautiful and mysterious woman before them shifted her gaze, revealing a look of nostalgia: “That was many, many years ago. Once, I too was a mortal.”

That story was ancient, even taking place before the epic of war and turbulence.

Feng Miaojun suppressed countless questions in her heart. She knew the Divine God couldn’t possibly answer everything. Finally, she only said softly: “But I didn’t cross over from another world, did I?”

The Divine God poured herself a cup of tea with some nonchalance: “What makes you think so?”

“When I practiced the Demon King’s secret techniques and first looked into my own soul, I sensed something was wrong,” Feng Miaojun said slowly but firmly. “If I came from another world, why was the appearance of my soul completely identical to Princess Changle’s? At that time, I had just learned to look inward and didn’t know how to change my soul’s appearance at all.”

A person’s soul and body had the same appearance—this was common knowledge in the cultivation world.

“I was always Changle, from soul to body, that’s the only explanation.” Feng Miaojun sighed softly. “Later I thought that the so-called lonely soul from another world was probably just a dream of unknown origin.”

“It wasn’t a dream. You were indeed born in that world and died in that world, completing a full cycle of reincarnation,” the Divine God shook her head. “It was I who retrieved your soul, along with your memories from your previous life. After all, you still needed to return to the mortal world to fulfill our agreement.”

“In my divination, your obsession was bound to the Demon King’s memories. Only by washing away these memories could the former oath and obsession be simultaneously washed away. To be safe, after you were reborn as Princess Changle, I returned your memories from the other world to you when you were thirteen years old.”

“You know, in our original world, there’s an old saying: memory is personality.” Her face became even more blurred in the rising steam. “I hoped you could truly act as another independent personality, free from the shadow of the Demon King.”

“No!” Upon hearing this, Feng Miaojun frowned: “Even if I maintained my true self, over these years, I still…”

All the decisions she had made over these years had been true to her heart, yet somehow, there seemed to be a force that directed all consequences toward the Demon King’s original oath.

New Xia had been established and was growing stronger under her leadership. Yun Ya’s mission to unify the world and piece together the altar fragments seemed increasingly distant, and in the end, the Demon King tribe was also released.

“I still fulfilled the original oath.”

“You have your destiny. The former oath would strongly pull on the strings of your fate, just as Yun Ya has his destiny,” the Divine God smiled slightly. “You both fulfilled it, yet did not stop at just the original oath.”

Her words carried deep meaning: “You both broke through the shackles of destiny and ultimately rewrote your own fates. Isn’t that perfection?”

A glimmer of understanding rose in both their hearts, leaving them contemplative.

Feng Miaojun had fulfilled the Demon King’s oath—indeed releasing the Demon King tribe and preventing the unification of the mortal realm—yet she didn’t stop there. Yun Ya had carried the stone heart for over three hundred years, once believing that the day the Realm God returned to the world would be his death day, yet he survived, and before him lay a path of golden light.

Looking back now that the dust had settled, countless emotions arose in their hearts. These emotions would transform into advancement in their realms of cultivation in the future.

After all, such experiences, such insights, such persistence—not everyone could have them.

Yun Ya finally spoke: “Where is Hao Minghuan? Why was I burdened with such a destiny?” His gaze was profound. “My master never told me these things.”

His voice was calm, but Feng Miaojun knew him deeply and could sense that his heart was not at peace. They say even a tiger does not eat its young; regardless of Emperor Li Hao’s purpose, what he did to his own biological son was horrifying.

“Those were heavenly secrets, so naturally Zhiting wouldn’t reveal them, though there’s no harm in speaking of them now.” The Divine God wasn’t concerned about his attitude. “After the Demon King tribe was sealed, the war between Haoli Nation and the demon race continued for another hundred years. At that time, spiritual energy was still abundant in the world, and demons were not easy to deal with. Haoli Nation was drained of resources and people, so the emperor finally came up with a bad idea: borrow the power of the sealed Demon King tribe!”

“The Demon King tribe knew that after being sealed, their soul power would gradually weaken. To avoid this consequence, they agreed to cooperate with the Haoli Empire, lending part of their power. The price was that the Haoli Empire would cultivate followers for them among the common people. The Demon King tribe certainly knew the benefits of the power of faith.”

Hearing this, Yun Ya couldn’t help but look at Feng Miaojun, who nodded and continued: “Indeed. But Haoli Nation broke its promise after defeating the demon race. As a consequence, from then on, no emperor of Haoli Nation would live beyond forty years. This punishment for breaking the covenant was clearly written in the contract.”

Forty years? Yun Ya thought for a moment, his expression changing slightly: “The year the Demon King attacked the city, Hao Minghuan was already thirty-seven!”

“The Haoli Nation emperor knew the formidable power of the Demon King tribe and feared they would widely establish faith altars among the people, causing their power to surge. After all, by then the world was declining, and cultivators’ divine powers were far less than before. If the Demon King tribe broke their own seal and escaped, there would be no match for them in the world. Therefore, after defeating the demon race, he reneged, ultimately sacrificing the short lives of his descendants to resolutely destroy the covenant with the Demon King tribe.”

“After the Demon King tribe attacked the city, Hao Minghuan knew he didn’t have many years left to live, and the Haoli kingdom was unstable, likely unable to subdue the Demon King tribe again. That’s why he transferred them all to the stone heart, sealing them in your chest.” The Divine God’s gaze swept across Yun Ya’s chest. “You want to know his whereabouts?”

She pointed at Yun Ya.

“What does that mean?” It was Feng Miaojun who asked this question.

“You were originally half-demon, but while still in your mother’s womb, the White Dragon changed your blood, transforming you into a pure-blooded dragon. Even so, you were wounded in the heart chamber right after birth, making your life force particularly weak, like a candle flame that could be extinguished with a breath. How could you possibly sustain the stone heart that sealed the entire Demon King tribe?”

Even among the dragon race, newly born young are especially fragile.

Yun Ya’s voice was dry: “So?”

“So you had to take a life-preserving pill every ten days. It would provide you with abundant life nourishment. This continued until you were seven years old, when you became Zhiting’s disciple and could strengthen yourself through cultivation.” The Divine God’s gaze toward him carried a hint of pity. “Have you ever thought about where the life-preserving pills came from?”

Yun Ya fell silent, his thin lips pressed tightly together, drained of color.

“Life-preserving pills are made from the flesh, blood, or inner cores of powerful beings. Their effects are amazing yet not overwhelming, and won’t harm your body. In the current world, there would be no more powerful cultivator than Hao Minghuan.” The Divine God also sighed. “Not long after the stone heart was placed in you, Hao Minghuan handed over state affairs and committed suicide. Before his death, he instructed the White Dragon to refine his flesh and soul together into spirit pills, which would have better medicinal effects and help you survive in the world.”

Yun Ya’s back remained straight, but he sat like a wooden statue.

So that was the truth—he had consumed his own father? No wonder he had never seen Hao Minghuan since his earliest memories.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his chest. Yun Ya let out a muffled groan, fresh blood oozing from the corners of his mouth.

“Yun Ya!” Feng Miaojun was greatly alarmed. His heart injury wasn’t completely healed yet—how could he endure such emotional extremes?

Yun Ya raised both hands to cover his face and remained motionless for a long time.

Feng Miaojun gently stroked his solid back, hoping to offer some comfort. Because of their life-and-death bond, she deeply empathized with Yun Ya’s pain.

Heaven had been truly unfair to her man.

The Divine God waited quietly for quite a while before pouring another cup of hot tea and pushing it toward Yun Ya: “Have another cup; this is good tea.”

This cup of tea was different from the previous Tieguanyin—it was cyan in color with a refreshing fragrance.

Yun Ya lowered his hands, picked up the teacup, and drank it all at once, as if downing strong liquor.

Before the cup was set back on the table, color returned to his face.

Yun Ya made a puzzled sound and pressed his chest with his hand. The force was so great that Feng Miaojun watched nervously, fearing his wound would reopen, tearing flesh and skin.

Surprisingly, his breathing didn’t falter at all. With a solemn expression, he said to the Divine God: “Thank you, my heart injury is healed.”

A cup of tea had healed his wound? Feng Miaojun looked at the Divine God, remembering that she controlled the power of life, with the ability to give life or death at will.

The Divine God waved her hand: “It’s nothing. I’m merely fulfilling this karmic connection.” Hao Minghuan’s son should no longer be troubled by heart injuries.

Various thoughts churned like boiling water in a clay stove. Yun Ya remained lost in thought for a long time, until a cotton flower was blown from the corner of the pavilion, landing on the ground with a pat. Only then did he suddenly awaken.

The blood vessels in his beautiful peach blossom eyes had not yet receded: “Why did Mother never tell me about this?” Why did Mother hide it from him, letting him carry hatred for his father for over three hundred years!

“Yun Ya.” It wasn’t the Divine God who spoke, but Feng Miaojun. Her voice was soft, as if afraid her words would turn into wounding arrows. “She hoped you would break free from such a destiny. As long as you hated Hao Minghuan, you would resent and resist the mission he gave you.”

Hao Minghuan’s heart held the world, but in the White Dragon’s eyes, she only saw her son.

That was a mother’s concern and obsession for her child. She would rather he lived well, not worrying about the rise and fall of the world, not sacrificing his life to save all living beings.

Such feelings and hopes, only women could understand.

Feng Miaojun gently held Yun Ya’s hand: “It’s all in the past. You have fulfilled both Hao Minghuan and the White Dragon’s wishes. They can have no regrets.”

Yun Ya remained silent, only returning her grip more firmly. After a while, he let out a long sigh.

Three hundred years of tempering in the mortal world had made his temperament as solid as rock. Now he was only deeply moved, but his emotions wouldn’t collapse. Besides, Feng Miaojun was right—no matter how entangled the grievances were, they were events from over three hundred years ago.

He should let go. In the future, he had her and the supreme great way.

Feng Miaojun asked about the issue that troubled her most deeply: “What about the turtle mark in my dantian?”

The Divine God coughed lightly: “After your soul returned from the other world, it was reincarnated into the New Xia royal family, becoming Princess Changle. However, when I calculated your fate line, I discovered that the Demon King’s brand had not been completely erased. By then, it was too late for other remedies—only by connecting you and Yun Ya through a contract could you constantly be concerned about his life, preventing you from opposing him.” She paused. “Besides, Yun Ya truly detested his own destiny. With you by his side, it would ensure he faithfully fulfilled it.”

Feng Miaojun lowered her head in silence.

The Divine God not only knew all things but also saw through people’s hearts.

On one hand, Yun Ya clearly understood the mission he carried and worked for all living beings; on the other hand, he hated his ultimate destiny.

The desire to live is branded into the deepest instincts of every living being.

“And now—” The Divine God looked at the two of them, smiling. “This is an unexpected joy.”

“That’s it?” Feng Miaojun still felt something was amiss.

“That’s it.”

The Divine God’s answer was decisive. Feng Miaojun could only nod: “By the way, before I slipped and fell into the Mountain-Moving Formation, I saw Queen An Xia in the lake. She—?”

“Indeed, it was Queen An Xia,” the Divine God smiled lightly. “By then, she was already in the netherworld but still concerned about you. I calculated that there was still a thread of karma unresolved between you, so I arranged for you to meet by the lake. You were young then and listened to Queen An Xia, which gave you the opportunity to step into the Mountain-Moving Formation and go to the Dragon-Rising Pool.”

Feng Miaojun asked somewhat cautiously: “…Where is she?”

“She has been reborn,” the Divine God saw through her thoughts. “Still into a wealthy and powerful family. You’ve met her.”

Feng Miaojun was both delighted and surprised: “I’ve met her?!”

Washing away past memories allows for new beginnings, and Queen An Xia was no exception. Feng Miaojun felt a twinge of sadness in her heart, but mostly happiness for her. But… she had met Queen An Xia’s reincarnation?

A soul’s reincarnation in the netherworld took considerable time. This meant that Queen An Xia’s reincarnation was at most a child of a few years to a teenager, born into a noble family, and someone Feng Miaojun herself had met?

Who could it be!

The Queen of New Xia had met too many descendants of officials; she couldn’t recall immediately.

“Anything else you want to ask?” The Divine God was indeed patient. “Our next meeting will probably be far in the future.”

Feng Miaojun suddenly remembered something: “Oh, the jade bead my foster mother bought for me?” How could it happen to be the sacrifice needed to activate the altar?

The Divine God smiled without answering.

Feng Miaojun understood and turned to ask her beloved: “Yun Ya?”

Yun Ya’s mind was filled with countless thoughts, still unsettled. At this moment, he had no heart to ask anything else and only said: “Is the Immortal Realm ahead? We still have mortal ties unresolved.”

The Divine God made a long “Oh” sound: “Marriage?”

Feng Miaojun’s face reddened, and Yun Ya nodded solemnly.

“You two have the merit of creation and can ascend to the sixth heavenly realm.” The Divine God was quite forthcoming. “I’ll give you two years to settle worldly affairs, then go find the Realm God. Afterward, whether to go to the Immortal Realm or directly ascend to the sixth heavenly realm will be your decision.”

She poured them one last cup of tea: “Just right, Zhiting also wants to be the marriage officiant. What do you think?”

Feng Miaojun looked at Yun Ya. In his eyes, she saw countless emotions; in her eyes, he saw tender affection like water.

“That would be excellent.”

“One shouldn’t trouble two masters.” Feng Miaojun suddenly remembered, “I once promised Woman Drought that I would help her find her husband’s reincarnation…”

“That can be arranged.” The Divine God nodded. “Past fruit, future fruit—they still have some destiny together.”

Half a year later.

The seven-year-old only son of the Magistrate of Fulang City in Jin State was playing by the river, fell into the water, and was fortunately rescued by a passing woman.

The child clutched the woman’s hand tightly. After coming ashore and vomiting water, he still wouldn’t let go.

The Magistrate’s wife arrived, expressing a thousand thanks. Seeing that the lifesaver was dressed simply but spoke politely, she inquired further and learned the woman had escaped across the sea as a refugee. This aroused her sympathy, and she wanted to invite her to stay at the manor.

Woman Drought didn’t answer but asked the little young master: “Do you want me to stay?”

The intent in her eyes was something even a seven-year-old child understood. He nodded vigorously, feeling an inexplicable closeness to her.

“Good.” She showed the gentlest smile since her cultivation success. “I’ll stay and accompany you.”

The year the Realm God returned and the heavenly gate reopened was honored as the First Year of Enlightenment.

Thereafter, the spiritual energy in the world gradually became more abundant, the weather harmonious, the land fertile, and all living beings prosperous.

The demon race began to flourish, and the sky also filled with more cultivators flying on swords.

The war between Wei and Yan, which had lasted for more than eight years, ceased with the passing of the King of Yan.

The twenty-second prince of Yan, Zhao Tang, succeeded to the throne, and his first edict was to negotiate peace with Wei, ultimately exchanging twelve prefectures for precious peace.

Neither Wei nor Yan was able to swallow the other. This had always been the outcome New Xia most hoped to see.

Yun Ya resigned from his position as State Preceptor of Wei, causing a sensation across the world.

The State Preceptor of New Xia, Yu Haizhen, successfully gave birth to a son and thus decided to stay in the mortal realm with her husband for fifteen more years before attempting the heavenly tribulation.

In the second year of Enlightenment, also the year after the end of the war, the Queen of New Xia, despite her officials’ pleas to stay, abdicated to the assisting minister Fu Lingchuan, transferring military and political power.

“My special identity makes me no longer suitable for the position of ruler.” She carried the orthodox bloodline of the New Xia royal family but was also the foremost of the Demon King tribe. Having a Demon King as ruler was still inappropriate at present.

Fu Lingchuan received the imperial seal from her hands, still incredulous, as if in a dream. Feng Miaojun patted his shoulder: “Congratulations, cousin. I told you long ago that you would eventually get your wish.” Even as an assisting minister, Fu Lingchuan had served the people with complete devotion, never slacking, worthy of her entrusting the country to him.

Fu Lingchuan stared at her steadily, countless emotions passing through his eyes—surprise, admiration, sighs, and perhaps a hint of reluctance. Finally, he solemnly said: “Congratulations to the Queen as well, for fulfilling your wish.” He knew she had always wanted to marry Yun Ya, but previously was hindered by the blood feud between their two countries. Now, this obstacle no longer existed.

Feng Miaojun smiled slightly: “I am no longer Queen.”

After chatting for a while longer, Fu Lingchuan smiled and sighed: “The ancestors of An Xia once had the ambition to unify the world. Now it seems impossible.” Both Wei and Yan had rulers of great talent and strategy, yet this dream had never been realized.

Feng Miaojun, however, replied solemnly: “New Xia’s territory is not small. Cousin, if you govern it well and establish peace for all generations, your merits will be immeasurable. Don’t be like Zhao Hui and Xiao Yan, wanting to unify the world. The Haoli Empire is a cautionary tale—even though it only occupied three-quarters of Jambudvipa’s land, it still ended in decline.” At this point, she sighed a bit. “Another world once strived for global unity, yet now hundreds of small countries exist independently, and people can still live in peace. Jambudvipa will eventually have such a day. Now that the heavenly path has reopened and the mortal realm is changing, the story of the Haoli Empire cannot be repeated.”

Having governed for many years, she saw things clearly and understood. Another world had never achieved complete unification, so how could Jambudvipa, several times more vast? With generally backward productivity in this world, a single empire could not rule such vast lands and such a massive population.

Fu Lingchuan couldn’t help but laugh: “Truly worthy of being the Demon King.”

Feng Miaojun shrugged: “An oath made by oneself must be fulfilled at all costs.”

The oath to divide the world that she had made as the Demon King leader before infiltrating Yingshui City had not included an expiration date.

On the second day of the second month, the day of “Dragon Raising Its Head,” Yun Ya and Feng Miaojun married by White Elephant Lake. Yun Ya’s master, Zhiting, actually came in person and, together with Princess Changle’s foster mother Madam Xu, presided over the wedding.

Including Feng Miaojun, people were seeing the legendary divine beast for the first time. However, Zhiting was in human form at this time, with a slender build and unremarkable features, but a very gentle temperament, appearing without any airs of a divine beast.

The wedding was both secretive and grand, but auspicious signs appeared in the sky, signifying universal celebration. Feng Miaojun was no longer the Queen of New Xia, and Yun Ya had resigned from his position as State Preceptor of Wei. Hand in hand, they could finally be together rightfully.

On the third day after the wedding, Feng Miaojun returned the Golden City to Princess Hanye. Miao Hansheng’s son had grown up, his skills becoming increasingly profound. With Mo Tizhun and the entire Jin State as backing, he now had the ability to protect his mother and the Golden City.

Not long after, a true dragon ascended to heaven by the lakeside, riding clouds and mist toward the divine tree, attracting many commoners who kowtowed in worship.

From then on, no one in Jambudvipa ever saw the couple Yun Ya again.

It is said that in the Immortal Realm, there was a new pair of divine immortal lovers.